


Shadow Gate to Love

by AleneShazam



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Guardian Angels, F/F, lots of side ships, might turn into DBZ later with angelxdemon fights???, two girls meet in a bar, yohariko main
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2018-11-18 01:23:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 35,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11280807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AleneShazam/pseuds/AleneShazam
Summary: Yohane is a fallen angel, one of the elite operatives of Hell. Her next mission is to seduce a certain wine-red haired pianist, found in the Guilty Kiss bar, but there is something about her that presents a challenge which Yohane has never faced before...(Fallen Angel pick-up gone wrong gone sexual)[YohaRiko! Bar and Angels/Demons AU]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Follow my tumblr for updates, art, requests, and more! (<https://worldofoasis.tumblr.com/>)

“Yohane, you’ve got a mark.”

She’s standing on a balcony, overlooking the lava flows and fields of punishment that stretch on forever in Hell, as far as the eye can see.

Yohane looks behind her at the sound of her boss’ voice. Behind her, her boss is leaning against the doorway to the balcony, silhouetted in the light coming from the inside of Yohane’s chambers. Her red eyes glint mischievously, and she flashes Yohane a toothy grin. She holds up a sheaf of paper, leafing through it as Yohane leans in for a closer look.

“Female, twenty three. Fresh out of college. Shouldn’t be too much trouble for the _great_ Yohane,” her voice is dripping with sarcasm, but there’s an undercurrent of genuine respect as well, and Yohane puffs up her chest regardless.

“Of course,” Yohane smiles proudly. Her boss shakes her head, but smiles anyway, handing Yohane the sheaf of papers. She takes the paper and starts flipping through the pages, her eyes scanning the text on each page. “Hmm… Apparently she studied music. She’s a prodigal pianist, but is unable to pursue her dreams for some reason…”

Her boss snorts in surprise, and Yohane looks up. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” Her boss shakes her head, quickly regaining her composure. “It’s just… history has a weird way of repeating itself.”

Yohane tilts her head. “What do you mean?”

“It’s nothing,” Her boss repeats, pushing off the doorframe and giving Yohane a pat on the back as she steps past her onto the balcony. “Alright, you know the drill. Don’t cause a commotion. Don’t get attached. Don’t stay up there for more than a month. And don’t mess with any angels, even if you come across them.”

“Yes yes, I know,” Yohane says, offhandedly. “It’s not my first time, boss. The dark angel Yohane has captured countless hearts in the past.”

“Well, you have had a spotless record so far…” Her boss hums, leaning with her back against the railing of the balcony. Her eyes seem to burn, fire-like, in the shifting glow of the lava below. Giving Yohane a sly grin, she snaps her fingers, and the fallen angel disappears in a puff of red smoke.

Watching the smoke dissipate, her boss slowly shakes her head. “So young. So hopeful. You haven’t seen anything yet, Yohane.”

With a bittersweet smile, she steps back into the room, closing the balcony door behind her.

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Yohane opens her eyes.

She’s in a dark alleyway, away from the main streets, hidden from plain sight. It’s not the kind of place normal people want to linger in for long, but for Yohane’s purposes, it’ll do just fine.

Sighing, she goes through the motions of loosening herself up - shaking her hands, feet, stretching out her arms and legs. She even gives her wings - dark feathery sails, extending delicately from her back - a good flap or two, even though she’s certain it won’t be much use.

It takes but a thought to will the wings away, and disperse the black halo that usually hangs above her. Today she’s going incognito, so it won’t do for her true identity to be exposed - at least, not so early in the mission.

A shaft of light goes past her, briefly illuminating the alleyway she’s in. Yohane glances behind her and sees nothing - it’s probably just a car. Even if it was someone with a flashlight, Yohane has nothing to fear. She looks completely normal, and her magic means no one can actually harm her. Still, it doesn’t hurt to be careful.

Rolling her neck, she looks down to make sure everything is properly done up. Her dress is tastefully alluring, exposing just enough skin to be sexy without being desperate. Her hair is done up in its usual manner, with the bun at the side, and she doesn’t even need a mirror to know her make-up is perfect. Physical perfection is just part of the package, being an angel (albeit a fallen one).

She checks her purse, and breathes out in relief when she finds her phone inside. It’s the one thing that stays constant, no matter what clothes her magic puts her in when she visits Earth. Licking her lips, she pulls it out and checks the time.

8:19. She still should have time, then.

Sliding the phone back into her purse Yohane steps out of the shadows and onto the main street. She’s blinded for a moment by the dazzling lights - billboards, traffic lights, neon signs, all things not found in Hell. Every time she comes here, she’s amazed by how beautiful the world is.

But she’s looking for one light in particular. The information her boss provided says her mark goes to a certain bar as a performer at 8:30 every friday night. She scans the streets, looking for a neon sign that matches the one shown to her by her boss.

“There you are…” She murmurs, as her eyes finally settle on the sign she’s looking for: _Guilty Kiss_.

It doesn’t look too impressive, just a dinky little establishment sandwiched between two bigger night clubs, but Yohane supposes appearances can be deceiving.

Stepping up to the _Guilty Kiss_ bar, Yohane’s so preoccupied with looking around that she doesn’t notice the person in front of her, and ends up walking right into her.

“Ah!” Yohane catches herself, but the brunette isn’t so lucky, stumbling and falling forward. “I’m sorry, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” The girl says, accepting Yohane’s hand and pulling herself back up. “Thank you…”

Dusting herself off, she quickly bows politely to Yohane - even though she’s the one who pushed her over - and steps into the bar.

 _Huh. She’s a patron too, I guess._ Yohane watches her enter, before entering the bar herself.

Just like its humble exterior, the inside of _Guilty Kiss_ is down to earth and practical - though by no means unpleasant. The bar is near the back, with an impressive array of assorted drinks shelved behind the bar. Opposite to the bar is a stage area, presumably for performers when the time comes. There isn’t much space for chairs in between, but there are a few standing tables between the stage and the bar. There’s an unusual neon-gothic theme to the place; the furniture has a classic baroque aesthetic to it, which immediately appeals to Yohane’s demonic sensibilities, but the lighting system is incredibly modern and even futuristic - giving a electronic vibe as well.

It’s incredibly unusual, but it works, giving an atmosphere that’s a blend between spunky and classy. Fashionable, is the best way Yohane can describe it. The industrial rock pumping in the background is catchy but unobtrusive, and Yohane finds herself bobbing her head as she steps into the bar proper and winds her way between bar-goers.

Looking around, Yohane doesn’t notice the girl she bumped into. Not thinking much of it - she’s probably not important to her mission anyway. Shrugging, she heads towards the bar instead, sitting down and smiling politely as the bartender approaches.

The bartender is a tall, curvy blonde, with golden eyes that gleams with mischief - they remind Yohane of her boss, somewhat - and a little loop in her hair in the shape of a 6. She’s wearing an slinky black cocktail dress that hugs her figure well (very well, Yohane has to admit). It’s almost gothic lolita in style, with frills and delicate laces, but simplified down so it works for modern sensibilities.

“New here?” She asks, leaning across the bar and causing her chest to press up against the countertop. Yohane focuses on the hint of a foreign accent in her voice, determined not to be distracted by the bartender’s assets.

“Is it that obvious?” Yohane asks, smiling charmingly at her. She counts silently in her head - her angelic beauty should take effect any moment now… As expected, the smile causes the bartender to blush faintly and back away, brushing back her hair self-consciously.

“Well, I remember all of my clients,” she says, extending a hand. “Least of all a pretty bomber head like you. Ohara Mari, I own this lil’ watering hole. Call me Mari.”

“Yohane,” Yohane says. She can wipe Mari’s mind later, if she has to, but she’s usually not one to stress about leaving tracks.

“‘Yohane’,” Mari repeats, nodding slightly to herself. “Cute name. Can I get you anything, Yohane?”

Yohane glances at the collection of bottles behind Mari. She’s not much of a drinker. She doesn’t get drunk anyway, thanks to her angelic physiology, so she doesn’t really see the point of learning the names of drinks. She knows the basics, of course, but she’s not exactly privy to the particulars. “Is there a house special?”

“Well,” Mari’s eyes twinkle at the question. “We have a few. How dangerous are you feeling tonight?” She slides a thin menu over to Yohane, who gives it a quick scan. She recognizes a few of the drinks from the few bars she’s been to over the years, as well as a few that she doesn’t.

“What’s a… Strawberry Trapper?” She asks, pointing at the drink on the menu.

“Oh… bit of vodka, bit of strawberry schnapps, little house blend of different berry juices. It’s got some bite to it, but it’s not so hard that you can’t have some fun after,” Mari counts off her fingers as she lists the ingredients, and gives Yohane a sly smile. “Interested?”

Yohane shrugs. It seems good, even if she doesn’t have to worry about the bite part. “I’ll have a Strawberry Trapper, then.”

Mari nods, and turns around, busying herself with the drink. Yohane glances towards the performance stage, then down at her phone. 8:23. Almost there. She puts her phone away and stares out at the patrons in the bar, watching them go about their night.

Most of them are pretty quiet, drinking and chatting with their friends. There are only a few who are noisy, and even then they seem pretty aware of their surroundings and don’t cause a fuss. It seems like she’s the only one who’s drinking alone this night - though she hopes not for much longer. Her mark should be appearing any second now…

“You live nearby?” Yohane jumps a little, caught off guard by Mari’s question. She turns around, glancing down to find a short glass containing a bright pink drink that seems to sparkle under the neon lights. “I gave it a little extra shiny~☆ for you.”

“Shiny…?” Yohane waves a hand over the glass, using just a fraction of angelic magic. It doesn’t seem poisonous or anything, but she still can’t make heads or tails of what the sparkling is.

“Edible glitter,” Mari explains, sliding the glass towards her. “Think pop rocks. It goes down with a dazzle.”

“Oh,” Yohane nods, lifting the glass and giving it a sip, swishing it around in her mouth before swallowing. Mari’s right - it does go down with a fizzing sensation that Yohane can see being called a dazzle. It’s sweet, but the vodka has an edge to it that gives the drink a crisp taste. It does, indeed, have a bite to it. She sets the drink down, glancing at Mari. “Sorry, what was the question again?”

“Are you from nearby?” Mari repeats the question, leaning forward and eying Yohane curiously. “Most of my customers are from around the neighborhood. The _GuilKiss_ name isn’t quite big enough to draw tourists in. Yet.”

Yohane takes another sip of her Strawberry Trapper, carefully setting the drink down before answering. “I’m not really from around.”

Mari shrugs. “Well, it’s none of my business.” She excuses herself as another patron comes up to the bar.

Yohane looks down, pulling her phone out again. 8:32. She should be here now. Is she late? With a few taps, she calls up the information provided to her on her phone and scans through it. The mark isn’t known to be one for tardiness, according to their profile.

“A Guilty Night, please.” She hears the new patron order, and she glances at the person sitting a few feet away. She blinks, looks down at her information, back up at the girl. Long silky wine red hair, yellow eyes, slender frame with delicate features. It’s a match - and she’s the girl Yohane accidentally pushed over, too.

She glances then at Mari, who’s frowning. “Are you sure, Riko? I’m not going to be able to help you home, you know. The place doesn’t close until three.”

Riko. That confirms it. Yohane scans her information. Sakurauchi Riko, the performer supposed to go on stage at 8:30. Sure enough, all the details match up too.

Riko glances briefly at Mari before looking down at the bar table. Her voice is a mumble. “Mari, please. It’s the third time I’ve backed out. I need this.”

Mari stares hard at Riko for a few moments before sighing. “You’d better call Chika before I get that drink to you. I’m not responsible for your drunk ass.”

Riko looks away, and Mari bites her lips. “Are you two still not talking? It’s been weeks.”

“This isn’t about Chika, Mari. Please. Just… give me the drink.” Riko glances up at Mari with pleading eyes. “Please?”

Mari shakes her head disbelievingly, but still goes about mixing Riko’s drink. “This had better not be a problem. If I find you have a drinking problem I’m throwing you out of my bar. I know you, you don’t have the balls to go to a new one.”

Riko grimaces. “It’s not a problem, I just… need this.”

Mari sighs again, and puts a dark, short drink onto the countertop and slides it over to Riko. “One Guilty Night. That’s all you get tonight.”

Riko nods slightly, taking a long drink from the glass. “Thank you, Mari.”

Yohane watches this with detached interest. Clearly, Riko has some sort of emotional baggage. Yohane can use that to her advantage, probably. A little angelic charm, a little conversation, and Riko should surrender herself easily. Yohane’ll be back in Hell before the night’s up.

She sidles closer to Riko, sitting down on the barstool next to her. She clears her throat, and in a low, husky voice, she asks, “Drinking alone?”

Riko turns slowly to glance at Yohane. She seems to evaluate Yohane for a moment before turning back to her drink and shrugging. “Pitiful, right?”

Yohane blinks, her expression changing from smug assurance to shock. She had laced her words with a hypnotic suggestion that was supposed to make Riko fall helplessly in love for her. The mesmer should have been enough to force even the most celibate monks to their knees - and Riko had shrugged it off like it was nothing.

“W-Well,” Pushing her surprise aside, Yohane quickly regains her composure and leans forward. So be it - even without her magic, Riko is her mark. She has to claim Riko’s soul, one way or another. “I wouldn’t say so. After all…” She lets her voice drop back to the husky pitch it was at before she dropped her guard. “I’m alone, too.”

Riko regards her for a moment, before smiling ruefully. “But probably not for the same reasons. You’re so pretty, after all.”

Yohane blushes involuntarily, her cheeks suddenly feeling hot. She’s heard the same platitudes from her soul-stolen little demons before, why should this matter to her now? She takes a sip of her drink to calm her nerves - this is the first time she’s gotten so flustered in _years._ The fact that Riko is immune to her magic must have really thrown her off.

“Not like me,” Riko continues, looking down. She stares hard at the glass of Guilty Night for a moment, before tilting her head back and downing most of the cup in one go.

Yohane stares at the now mostly-empty glass. She’s no expert on alcohol, but she has a feeling the Guilty Night is a whole lot stronger than her Trapper. Riko notices her gaze, and her cheeks flush. “I don’t have a drinking problem.”

“Of course not,” Yohane dips her head diplomatically.

“I don’t!” Riko insists. “Really.”

“I believe you.”

“You don’t.”

“I really do.”

“Mari doesn’t.” Riko says, glancing at Mari. Yohane hasn’t missed the fact that Mari has been glancing back at Riko every so often. “Why would you?”

“Because I’m not Mari, and I barely know you,” Yohane says evenly. “People have their circumstances. I’m not one to judge. Sometimes a hard drink is what you need. I’ve done worse.”

Riko stares long and hard at Yohane. Yohane smiles back at her, and tips her own drink back as well, draining half the glass in one go. “Besides, the real question here is, why would a cute girl like you be drinking all alone? Doesn’t seem right to me.”

Riko blushes, looking down at the empty glass in front of her. “That’s… you’re too kind. I’m a nobody, really.”

“See, you say that, but nobodies don’t tend to be brunette beauties with golden eyes.” Yohane says smoothly, resting her elbow against the bar, and putting her chin in her palm in a calculatedly attractive motion.

Riko shakes her head. “No, really. I’m just… a girl.”

“Just a girl, huh,” Yohane hums, tilting her head slightly. A girl who can resist the magic of a fallen angel, making her job of converting her _that_ much more complicated, sure. Hardly _just_ a girl. "You should give yourself more credit."

“Wait,” Riko says suddenly, recoiling like she’s been struck with a whip. “Is this… uh, stop me if I’m assuming too much… is this a flirting kind of scenario? Because I don’t do that. Um, flirting, I mean. Romance. You’re a really pretty girl, so if that’s what you’re after you shouldn’t be wasting your time on me…”

 _Hit the nail on the head._ Yohane smiles pleasantly. “Oh, I’m just another bar-goer, curious as to why a girl like you would be sitting alone. There really isn’t anything untoward about my intentions…”

That’s a lie, of course, as big as any Yohane has told, but she’s nothing if not a devil, and devils lie out of their asses all the time. So it’s totally okay to lie to this pure, innocent girl.

“Unless, well, you’re into that sort of direction,” Yohane flashes Riko a toothy, predatory grin, which causes the girl to gulp and blush bright red.

“Well! Um!” Riko squeaks, shrinking back slightly. “Not really? I mean, girls are nice, and you’re really pretty, but I’m,” She takes a deep breath, stilling herself. “I’m not looking for that right now. I’ve got… other problems to think about.”

Yohane nods, toning down her aggression a little. Without her magic to fall back on, she should venture a bit more carefully. “Of course. Sorry, I was just… curious. You’re an interesting girl.”

“I’m… flattered you think that.” Riko murmurs.

“I’m sure you do,” Yohane says, waving at Mari, who has returned to the bar. “Can I get a beer? Just a bottle, whatever’s handy.”

“Coming up,” Mari says, looking between Riko and Yohane for a moment before turning to reach for the refrigerator with all the beers.

_Thump._

Yohane blinks, looking down at Riko, suddenly passed out. “Uh… Mari, is that supposed to happen?”

Mari sighs, pulling a bottle from the fridge and handing it to Yohane. “It happens, sometimes. She downed the Guilty Night, didn’t she?” Yohane nods, and Mari sighs again. “That’s basically a glass of hard whiskey with some minor stuff mixed in…”

Making her way around the bar, she comes up to Riko and shakes her a little. “Come on, Sakurauchi. It’s not bedtime yet… I’m surprised she lasted this long, to be honest.”

“Is she always like this?” Yohane asks, taking a languid sip from her bottle of beer. Mari doesn’t seem too worried about it, so Yohane assumes it’s a common occurrence.

“Only recently,” Mari says, rooting through Riko’s bag for a phone. She zips through the password - She knows Riko’s password? - And seems to dial someone up. “Ever since she— well, that’s not really my place to say.”

She pauses as the call seems to get through. “Hello? Chika? Oh, Yō. It’s Mari. Riko’s out cold again.” She stops and listens. “Yes, I told her not to, and restricted her to one drink, but she’s a determined one. Uh huh. I’d appreciate the help, I’m tied up with the bar right now.” She listens, smiles and nods. “Thanks, Yō. Uh, she had a Guilty Night, so keep a bag handy. Yeah - love you. Bye~”

Hanging up the call, Mari sighs as she glances at the unconscious Riko. “Ah, Riko. What am I supposed to do with you?” She smiles, but there’s an undercurrent of exasperation in her tone. She turns and realizes Yohane’s still watching. “Sorry you have to see this. She’s usually a little more composed than this.”

Yohane shrugs. “I’ve seen worse. The gates of Hell hide many secrets.”

Mari quirks an eyebrow. “You don’t say?”

“Say,” Mari glances down at Riko before back to Yohane. “I hate to ask a customer to do work for me, but we’re short on hands tonight… Would you mind helping Riko outside in a bit? I asked a friend of hers to pick her up, but… she’s hardly in any condition to walk herself out.”

She bites her lip. “I’ll say the beer’s on the house for your troubles.”

“Free beer?” Yohane smirks. “Who am I to turn that down?”

Plus, a better chance to examine Riko up close. Yohane still has no idea why Riko is immune to her magic, but there has to be _some_ explanation.

Mari smiles, flashes Yohane a thumbs up, before returning to her job as bartender - she’s kept a few patrons hanging in the time she took to take care of Riko.

While Mari busies herself with that, Yohane turns her attention to her unconscious mark. Experimentally, she waves her hand, trying to wake her with magic. But of course, it can’t be that simple, so Riko remains asleep like a rock, with Yohane feeling increasingly frustrated about her magic immunity. She really has to go do some research after this.

“What makes you so special?” Yohane mutters, staring at Riko.

Outside of her flabbergasting magic immunity, Riko’s entirely, painfully normal. She’s just a regular human, according to her information. Sure, she might be a pretty and clumsily cute human, but still, just a normal human, with silky wine-red hair and golden eyes and soft features that would make an angel jealous…

 _What_. Yohane blinks. _What was that?_

She shakes her head, tearing her eyes away from the girl.

Deciding that maybe it’s time to get Riko out of the bar, Yohane fishes out some mortal money and slaps it onto the bar (for the Trapper). Draping Riko’s arm around her neck and supporting her at the waist, Yohane half walks, half drags Riko out of the bar onto the streets. She could probably have easily done something more efficient, like carry Riko over her shoulder like a burlap sack, or do the bridal carry, but she doesn’t want to cause a stir.

After propping her up against a wall, Yohane disappears back into the bar to grab her free beer, and comes back out to find a car pulling up to the _Guilty Kiss_. It’s a big pickup truck, and Yohane half expects a big tough trucker dude to come out. She’s pleasantly surprised when it’s a pretty girl who steps out, though she still looks plenty big and tough. She has neck-length grey-brown hair, blue eyes, and a sunny smile that lights up even the scummiest of seedy bar districts.

“You’re the lady’s friend?” Yohane asks, out of curiosity more than anything.

“Yup! That’s me.” The girl gives Yohane a sharp salute. Going up to Riko, who is leaning unconsciously against a wall, she chuckles slightly before sweeping Riko off her feet in the classic bridal carry with a small “Hup!”

Yohane’s a little impressed. She can do better, probably, but as far as human girls are concerned, this new girl has guns.

“Well, thanks for taking care of this lump until I came,” the girl gives Yohane a wave from the driver’s seat, after loading Riko into the back seat. Yohane waves back lazily, taking a draw of the free beer. It’s honestly kind of crappy, but Yohane doesn’t mind so much.

Watching the truck drive away, Yohane sips at her beer calmly, before pulling out her phone and messaging her boss (there’s roaming in Hell).

_Wtf I got stiffed!!! my mark is immune to magic you never said anything about this bullshit_

A few seconds later, her boss replies:

_lol_

Yohane glares at the screen, and after making sure no one’s watching, she snaps her fingers and descends back to Hell.

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

“Who the _fuck_ does she think she is?”

Yohane’s boss rolls her eyes as she fills out paperwork in her office, while Yohane circles around her ranting in aggravation. It was kind of cute the first five minutes but it’s quickly getting annoying.

“Resisting my magic. _Me!_ Yohane, the fallen angel! People usually line up for a shot of that!”

Yohane paces back and forth, gesturing vigorously as she speaks. Her wings flare out in her agitation, blowing some of Yohane’s boss’ paper work out of order.

“Yohane, I’m trying to sign things,” Her boss gives Yohane a flat look.

“Yes, but listen! She resisted _my_ magic! A mere mortal! A really pretty mortal, sure, but just a mortal!” Yohane grumbles, snapping her fingers and producing puffs of fire to make sure it’s not her magic that’s at fault. Of course it isn’t but it pays to make sure. “She wasn’t even playing the piano! The information said she’d be performing - she’s just moping around!”

“Mhmm,” Her boss hums noncommittally, signing off the last few waivers and proposals before glancing at Yohane. “Look, Yohane. A mark is a mark, no matter what her condition is. This is a order from the big man himself, it’s practically destiny.”

“Prodigal pianist types tend to be tough nuts to crack. Trust me, I know. You’ll just have to soldier on.”

She stands up, stacking the papers together and heading out of the room. When she passes Yohane, she gives the fallen angel a pat on the back with her arrow-head tail. “You’re a capable demon. You just need to get her in bed, leech off a bit of her soul, and that’s done with.”

Yohane grumbles but nods begrudgingly. She’s right, of course; Yohane’s tackled worse situations before, she’s not going to be brought down by one mortal woman.

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

So it is that the next Friday, Yohane finds herself on the doorstep of the _Guilty Kiss_ once again. She’s a little later than last time, arriving at 8:40 instead.

Again when she enters, she’s hit with what she supposes is the default music type of _Guilty Kiss_ \- industrial rock. The piano onstage is suspiciously unoccupied, and there’s a wine-red haired beauty sitting at the bar, glass already in hand.

Mari catches her looking, and gives Yohane a friendly wave as she approaches. She’s not wearing the slinky dress this time - instead opting for a more humble (but no less stunning) white one piece dress with golden frills and a sky blue bow at the waist tying it together.

“Welcome back! Glad to see you again,” Mari says, and there’s something infectious about her friendly, fun-older-sister type demeanor that actually has Yohane excited for what the night’ll offer. This time for sure, she’ll get Riko. “What can I get you, Yohane?”

Sitting down a stool away from Riko and pretending not to notice her for the moment, Yohane smiles at Mari. “Surprise me.”

Mari’s smile widens to a grin at the challenge. “Oh my. Looking for trouble, are we?”

Yohane steals a glance at Riko, who looks, much like last time, mildly downtrodden and disappointed. She also already looks mildly intoxicated. “You could say that.”

Mari seems to miss the look, and turns around to whip up Yohane’s drink. Taking the chance, Yohane takes a better look at Riko and her drink. The girl is taking half-hearted sips out of a tall drink, which has a purple-to-cyan gradient to it from top to bottom. It’s also _glowing_ , which is mildly alarming to Yohane but with how Riko doesn’t seem to mind she supposes it’s normal.

Riko herself looks somewhat haggard compared to last time, with definite bags under her eyes and a more hunched over posture. Yohane can’t tell for sure, though. Not without her magic, anyway, she notes annoyedly, turning away from her to focus on Mari, who looks just about done with the drink.

Turning around, she slides a squat lowball glass filled with an alarmingly dark and opaque drink over to Yohane. She grins, tapping the rim of the cup with a slender finger.

“This,” She pauses for dramatic effect, “is the Guilty Eyes Fever.”

Yohane nods slowly, peering at the drink. “Looks like a strong one.”

“Well, judging from how well you handled the Strawberry Trapper, I figured you’re the kind of woman who can hold her drink,” Mari grins. “This is like the Guilty Night, except… well, you’ll see.”

Hesitantly, Yohane raises the glass to her lips and takes a drink.

And almost spits it out again, because _good lord_ that is a strong drink. It burns as it goes down her throat, sizzling as it settles in her stomach. She can almost feel the tears coming out of her eyes (except she doesn’t cry, angels don’t cry) and she has to double over for a moment just to deal with that hellfire drink.

“It’s good, right?” Mari grins, taking a classy sip from a drink of her own.

“Yup,” Yohane chokes out. She probably sounds hoarse, and has to take a moment to recover before she can continue. “Tequila?”

“The best of 80 proof beverages.” Mari says.

She takes another drink just to keep up her image but _oh god does it burn_.

“So what brings you back to my humble establishment?” Mari asks, drawing up a seat behind the bar and sitting down. “Again - we don’t see a lot of people who aren’t from around.”

Yohane thinks for a moment. Mari’s a resource that she should very well use - though she’s hesitant to use her magic at this juncture. Instead she goes about befriending her the old-fashioned way. “I heard an award winning pianist plays here, every Friday.”

She eyes Riko carefully, noticing how the girl stiffens at the mention of ‘award winning pianist’.

“Ah,” Mari clicks her tongue, sitting a little straighter. She glances quickly at Riko as well, before her gaze returns to Yohane. “Well, she’s taking a temporary hiatus. Maybe later?”

“Maybe,” Yohane dips her head diplomatically, taking another (searing) sip of the Guilty Eyes Fever.

(She feels like she's going to _get_ a fever at this rate, angelic resilience be damned.)

“Well, give me a holler if you need something,” Mari gives Yohane a wave and heads off to deal with other patrons, leaving Yohane with her volcanic Guilty Eyes Fever and a Riko desperately trying to avoid eye-contact.

Which, of course, means Yohane just _has_ to lean over and give Riko a sultry smile.

“Hey there, stranger,” She smiles, resting her chin on her palm again. “Glad to see you made it home alright.”

Riko blushes, turning stiffly towards Yohane. “Hey… uh, thanks for helping me out last time… Yō told me you were looking out for me when she got there.”

“It was but a trifling thing,” Yohane says. “It’s no problem.”

“But still… you had to see me pass out like that, it must’ve ruined your night,” Riko bows her head. “I’m, um, I’m sorry for that.”

“No, really.” Yohane waves a hand casually. “I think, honestly, it’s a plus to get to carry a pretty girl.”

“Oh wow,” Riko’s cheeks flush, and she turns quickly back to her drink. “You, um, you’re not going to stop saying that, huh?”

“I was taught to never lie,” Yohane grins. _That’s a lie._ But of course, Riko doesn’t have to know. “Anyway, I think it bears mentioning twice. Thrice? Many times.”

Riko looks down at her drink, and decisively, takes a big gulp of it. The act reminds Yohane of someone throwing water onto a fire to quench it.

“You don’t even know my name, though…” Riko says, smiling sadly. “If you knew me better, you probably wouldn’t be so kind. I’m no one special. Really.”

“Let’s get to know each other, then. My name’s Yohane. Just Yohane. You?” Yohane holds out her cup, which Riko tentatively clinks her own cup against.

“S-Sakurauchi Riko.”

Yohane smiles. “Nice to meet you, Riko.”

She takes a boiling drink of the Guilty Eyes Fever, while Riko takes a long sip from her own drink. Smacking her lips, Yohane turns to Riko, resting her elbow on the bar table and staring at her for a moment.

“You know, you never answered my question last week. Why is a girl like you drinking alone?” Yohane tilts her head and asks, swirling her drink around.

Riko hesitates, looking away. She seems to tune in to the thumping music in the background, which has transitioned from the previous industrial rock to a stylish and smooth EDM type song, bobbing her head slightly in synch with the beat.

“It’s a long story,” She says. Yohane follows her glance, and finds she’s staring at the piano.

“I have time.”

Riko glances at Yohane. “It’s not very interesting.”

“I’m patient,” Yohane says, smirking slightly.

Riko sighs, a small smile finding its way onto her face. “You’re not gonna let this go, huh?”

“The great Yohane does not pass up on a mystery,” Yohane says, poking Riko on the shoulder. She doesn’t seem to shy away from it. “And you, Sakurauchi Riko, are a mystery to me. So enlighten me. I won’t tell.”

Riko sighs, looking down at her drink. It’s almost empty, and after a moment of hesitation, she finishes it off and sets the glass down heavily. “Recently… well, a month ago… my girlfriend and I, um, broke up. I don’t… I don’t know how it came to be. I suppose I just wasn’t interesting enough to make her happy.”

There’s a small twinge in Yohane’s heart - even if she’s a demon, she doesn’t enjoy seeing people miserable. That sort of sick mentality is for the torture demons back in Hell. And once upon a time, Yohane was an angel of heaven, and some small part of her still wants to help the poor girl.

“You liked her?” Yohane asks, softly.

Riko nods. “She was… my everything, really. She was the reason I did what I did, the reason why I _could_ do what I did. My muse. The light of my life. And now… I just…”

She stands up. “Sorry. I’m… I probably look miserable. I… uh, I need the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

Yohane watches as she staggers off towards the bathroom sign in one corner of the _Guilty Kiss_ bar, and bites her lip. Riko’s still devoted to her previous girlfriend. That makes things a little difficult for Yohane, whose goal is to get her into bed so she can leech a bit from her soul.

She stops for a moment, before shaking her head a little. That kind of thinking… it’s a little cold, isn’t it? Yohane’s been approaching this too mechanically. Without her magic, she has to think like a mortal, like a human.

Signaling for Mari, Yohane glances at Riko’s drink before quietly asking the bartender, “What’s that drink?”

“Oh,” Mari thinks for a moment. “It’s a new recipe I’ve been working on. It’s specifically for lightweights, but with enough shine☆ to it so they feel like they’re doing something hard, so they have just as much fun as everyone else.”

“Hm.” Yohane nods. That makes sense. Mari has a good sense for drink mixing. Tapping her own glass hesitantly for a few seconds, Yohane asks, “Do you think Riko can take a Strawberry Trapper without tipping over?”

Mari frowns. “Well… If she paces herself, sure. But… why are you trying to give Riko _more_ alcohol?” Her expression hardens. “You’d better not be trying anything with Riko. She’s a good friend. I _will_ break you if you so much as hurt a hair on her head.”

 _I’d like to see you try._ Yohane thinks, but there’s no point in aggravating Mari more.

“She’s _already_ hurting, Mari.” Yohane says, evenly. “She needs to let off steam before she can start to heal.”

“We’ve given her time to let off steam. She’s already had a month, and she’s been drinking for most of that month,” Mari begins, before Yohane cuts her off.

“But you haven’t really tried to talk to her, have you?” Yohane says. “You’re giving her space, but maybe what she needs is to vent.”

Mari grimaces. “It’s not as easy as you say. Riko will be looking for validation. I can’t just take her side and turn my back on Chika.”

 _Chika. She’s Riko’s ex, then._ Yohane reasons, before saying. “That’s where I come in. I’m a stranger. I don’t have any ties to your friendship circle. I have more freedom to act.”

She glances at the bathroom. Riko’s just coming out. Yohane lowers her voice urgently. “Please, if you care about the girl, let her have this. I’m just trying to help, I swear.”

Mari eyes Yohane carefully.

“Just who _are_ you, Yohane? What do you want?” She asks.

Yohane smiles mysteriously. “Just… call me a guardian angel. I’m here to help.”

There’s a brief flicker of something or another - realization? recognition? in Mari’s eyes, but as Riko approaches the bar again she nods and turns around. Within moments she has a Strawberry Trapper whipped up, and she sets it on the table just as Riko sits back down.

She looks a little fresher, and the little bit of wet hair tells Yohane she probably washed her face to calm down. She notices the Strawberry Trapper and blinks in surprise. “Um… is this for me?”

Yohane smiles wryly. “You looked like you needed something a little stronger.”

Riko eyes the drink a little apprehensively, looking first towards Mari, who shrugs before heading off back to business, then back to Yohane, who gestures invitingly, then finally reaching for the drink and taking a sip.

“Thanks,” she says to Yohane. “I… still don’t understand why you would be so nice to a stranger, but…”

“Hey, you’re willing to divulge something seriously personal to me,” Yohane says quietly, reaching around and giving Riko a gentle pat on the back. “I’m just returning the favor.”

Riko shivers at the touch, and gives Yohane a conflicted smile. “It’s strange. I didn’t even know your name until an hour ago. But… I don’t know. I feel like I can trust you, somehow.”

Yohane smiles. It’s what Yohane’s been leading her towards, of course, but there’s a small part of Yohane that’s genuinely happy at the admission.

But- Yohane quickly quashes that part. She needs to stay focused. Remain detached. Everything is leading up to the soul-leeching. She recalls what her boss told her many times in the past. _Don’t cause a commotion. Don’t get attached._

She may feel sorry for the poor girl, but she can’t let that get in the way of her work.

“Why don’t I tell you a bit about myself, then?” Yohane gives Riko a smile. Riko nods, seemingly relieved that the conversation topic is turning away from her.

As someone whose livelihood is based on deception and blending in, Yohane already has many false backgrounds prepared. This times she brings out the one story that’s closer to her heart. She’s a writer by trade, specializing in gothic horror. She’s always on the move, hopping from city to city, rarely staying in one place for long. She came to this city in search of inspiration, and happened upon information about the _Guilty Kiss_ by chance. She’s especially curious about the mysterious performer who’s on hiatus, a statement which gets another visible reaction from Riko.

It’s not technically false, in many respects. Yohane does enjoy writing in her off time, and she does rarely stay in one place for long. She did also happen across the _Guilty Kiss_ by chance - she didn’t choose the assignment, it was given to her by her boss.

As Riko gets more of the Strawberry Trapper into her system, she starts to open up a bit more, too. She explains how she’s a freelance pianist currently looking for a more stable income. She talks a bit more about her personal life - how she used to live with her ex, Chika, and their mutual best friend Yō. She talks about how the three of them used to be inseparable.

Before she gets to her previous relationship proper, though, Yohane realizes that Riko’s nearing her limit. Her eyes are unfocused, her cheeks bright red, and she’s swaying a little even when sitting down. Gently, she takes the glass of Strawberry Trapper - which only has a few sips left in it anyway - from Riko.

“Are you okay?” She asks, quietly. “I think you may have had enough.”

Riko blinks woozily, nodding slowly. “Um… yeah, I, uh, I think you may be right.”

She tries to stand up, but ends up almost falling over. “Shit… Uh… Yohane, could you, um, could you help me outside? I’ll be… uh… I’ll be fine once I get to a cab…”

Yohane takes out her phone and glances at the time. Almost 11. They’ve been talking for almost 3 hours? Yohane didn’t even realize that much time has passed.

“Where do you live?” Yohane asks. She’s sure Riko can take care of herself, but nonetheless, she doesn’t want anything happening to her mark.

“There’s an address… in my wallet, um… purse, left pocket.” Riko lifts her purse clumsily, and Yohane carefully roots through the bag to fish the girl’s wallet out. It’s plain and practical, just a cloth wallet with minimal decoration. It fits Riko - Yohane has come to realize she’s the type that avoids the limelight, most of the time.

“Let’s see…” She takes out the slip of paper with her address on it, and her eyes widen a fraction. Riko lives in a part of town that’s _very_ unsafe. Lots of crime at night. Yohane bites her lip, glancing at Riko. Maybe she won’t be alright on her own after all…

Helping Riko to her feet, Yohane leaves a bill on the bar for Mari before offering Riko her shoulder as they make their way out of the _Guilty Kiss_. It’s easy enough to flag down a cab - there are plenty prowling the streets in the night life district, looking for drunk bar goers to pick up.

After helping Riko into the cab and passing the slip with the address on it to the driver, Yohane sits down next to Riko, to her surprise. “You don’t… um, you don’t have to go that far…” She protests weakly, but Yohane shakes her head.

“You should know better than to walk around your neighborhood drunk. I’ve seen the news,” Yohane says, firmly. “I’ll walk you home. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Oh.” Riko’s cheeks redden slightly. “I… okay. I guess you have a point.”

She falls silent, leaning against Yohane during the ride. Yohane gets the distinct impression Riko’s trying very hard not to fall asleep, her head jerking every few moments as she drifts off and wakes back up again. In the last couple minutes or so of the ride, though, she falls asleep for good, snoozing lightly on Yohane’s shoulder.

 _She’s so fragile,_ Yohane thinks, as she watches Riko. _So mortal._

If it weren’t for her resistance to Yohane’s magic, she would just be another girl in the crowd. Yohane stiffens momentarily when Riko’s hand drifts over her own, holding it clumsily. An unconscious gesture on Riko’s part, but Yohane just can’t stop thinking about it.

Yohane has dealt with people with tragic backgrounds before. Characters far more sympathetic than Riko, whose life stories, when told, would drive anyone to tears.

So… why is she so aware of the warmth coming from Riko’s hand? Why can she not overlook how soft her touch is, or how delicate her fingers are, as they weakly curl around her own, when she’s ignored so many similar sensations in the past?

Yohane’s physical body has frozen at around twenty one, forever keeping her in the prime of her youth. Yet she’s much, much older than that. She’s been in the service of Heaven since the creation of the angelic hosts, at the beginning of all things. She fell when mankind was just gatherings of apes in forests, and began working as a harvester of souls before Riko’s great grandparents were even born.

She’s seen generations pass, the entire social structure of countries shift and change. She thought she’d seen it all. And yet…

Yohane is so deep in thought that she doesn’t even realize the cab has stopped at first. Blinking and looking around, she quickly figures out that they’ve arrived at their destination. Nudging Riko gently, she murmurs, “Wake up, Riko. You’re home.”

Since her money is functionally limitless, Yohane pays for the cab, and helps Riko out of the cab and into the cool night air. A breeze sweeps past them, the chill seeming to clear Riko’s daze a little. She shakes her head, looking around as the cab drives off. “Uh… not really?”

Yohane blinks. “Hm?”

“This is, um, the wrong street.” Riko explains, gesturing at a nearby street sign. “My apartment building is a little…” She frowns, looking around again, trying to piece together a roadmap in her mind. “A bit to that way. Shouldn’t be more than a few minutes…”

She tries to take a step, but stumbles again. Yohane chuckles. “I’ve got you, I’ve got you. Here…” She loops an arm around Riko, which keeps her steady, but also holds her close enough for their hips to touch. Riko squirms a little at the proximity, but Yohane would rather her tolerate a little discomfort now than fall over and smash her face.

“…Thanks…” Riko mutters, leaning against Yohane. She blushes, but plays it off calmly, just nodding in response.

Riko’s warm - partially because of the alcohol, probably, but she’s particularly warm to Yohane. As an immortal, Yohane’s body is locked in perpetual stasis. Her body temperature is locked at just a shade cooler than most mortals, so they always feel warm to her.

She’s so enamored with the warmth radiating from the girl that she almost, _almost_ , misses the three - no, four - men converging on them from all sides. They’re sticking to the shadows, avoiding street lights, but Yohane can see in the dark, not to mention just sense their presences even without sight.

As the first one steps past the street corner, leering at them, Yohane says calmly, “We’re not looking for trouble.”

“Aw, ain’t that sweet.” He leers at the pair of them. “Unfortunately for you, we are.”

Yohane glances behind them, noticing two of their assailants blocking their exit. She sighs, eying the last one as he steps up beside the first man.

Well, she says _man_ , they’re really closer to young adults, twenty odd years in age. They’ve obviously been drinking, giving in to their darker impulses.

Riko whimpers when she realizes what’s happening. “Y-Yohane?”

“Stay behind me, Riko.” Yohane says, calmly. “And don’t move.”

“What’s going on…? What are you doing?” Riko looks around at the four men fearfully, her hand finding Yohane’s and gripping it tightly.

Yohane ignores her for the moment, staring evenly at the guy in charge. “Last chance. Back off.”

The man grins, the malicious intent obvious in his lecherous smile. Riko shrinks back nervously. “Uh… Yohane…?”

“Sh.. I’ve got this under control…” Yohane says, quietly slipping off her purse and handing it to Riko.

As the four men close in on the pair, Yohane closes her eyes.

_The world turns black._

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

The next morning Riko wakes up in bed. She groans as she sits up, nursing a wicked headache. Her lips feel parched, and the sunlight filtering through the window curtains is entirely too bright.

“Ugh…” She looks around, then down at herself. She’s still wearing the plain dress she wore last night, though her coat has been removed and placed on the nightstand. She’s back in her room, somehow, even if she doesn’t remember ever getting there…

She frowns, her recollections of last night hazy at best. She went back to the _Guilty Kiss_ , as per usual, backed out of playing _again_ , and then got a drink. Then… Yohane? Yohane showed up, yes, and they talked. It was nice. Relaxing, for once, to talk to someone who didn’t seem guarded and careful and deemed it necessary to baby her at every step.

She’s heartbroken, not useless.

But then… they got on a cab. She fell asleep? And then they got off, and… and…

The men. She remembers that clearly, the fear searing the image into her mind. They were all around them, and Riko was terrified.

Then… then…?

_Black wings._

“A guardian angel…”

Riko mutters, without really knowing why. Her memories are hazy from that point. Something happened. Yohane did something?

Yohane. Yohane!

Riko stumbles off her bed, hits her knee against the bedside table and resists swearing in pain. Yohane saved her. She vaguely recalls a hazy shape, darting between the four men, limbs a blur. It might’ve been Yohane. She also swears the figure has black wings trailing behind. Somehow.

No, that can’t be right. It must’ve been a trick of the light.

Shaking her head, she combs a hand through her messy hair and steps outside, intending to get a glass of water from the kitchen.

She stops when she smells something.

Food. _Good_ food. Coming from the kitchen? She half stumbles, half drags herself into the living room, which is connected to the open kitchen in her apartment flat.

It’s not seen much use since Riko moved in. She’s not exactly the best cook, and she’s mostly been eating out. But now there’s the sound of something sizzling on a frypan, and when she rounds the corner she notices food already set out on the dining table - a full English breakfast with baked beans and sausages and scrambled eggs. Riko didn’t even know she _had_ baked beans in the house.

And there, by the stove, is Yohane, frying what looks like strips of bacon on the frying pan.

Riko stares at her for a moment. Eventually the woman turns around, noticing Riko just standing there, and gives her a sheepish smile. “Oh, hi. Good morning, Riko.”

“Um.” Riko stutters for a moment, at a loss for words. “Morning?”

“I made us breakfast. In case you were hungry. I hope you don’t mind me rooting through your pantry.”

Yohane gestures at the open cabinets and smiles apologetically at Riko. Not for the first time, Riko thinks that Yohane is unfairly attractive. “Uh… yeah. That’s fine.”

Riko looks around, her gaze landing on the couch, which has a neatly folded thin blanket sitting on top. “Did you… uh, did you stay the night? I mean, not that I mind. I’m… just curious.”

Yohane, who has turned back to her cooking, glances at Riko. “Yeah. It was getting pretty late when I got you up here, so I figured I’d just crash for the night. I tried not to make a mess.”

“It’s not like there’s much to mess up,” Riko says, sidling up to the dining table and sitting down.

It’s true - Riko’s apartment is pretty bare, with her bedroom being the only reasonably furnished room. She didn’t have much to take with her when she moved out of Chika and You’s flat. She reminds herself to get something to fill out the empty shelves and cabinets. Maybe some music books.

“Well, it’s better to be safe than sorry,” Yohane says, turning down the fire and plating up the bacon. “Here. You should eat while it’s fresh. I’ll be right back.”

Yohane steps out of sight for a moment, and Riko stares down at her plate.

Nervously, she takes a strip of bacon and takes a dainty bite from it.

And tears immediately start flowing as the rich flavors hits her tongue. She slumps slightly, trying to contain the sobs that start bubbling to the surface.

When Yohane comes back, tabasco sauce in hand, she notices Riko sobbing and immediately rushes up to her. “Riko. Are you okay? What happened? Is the food bad?”

“I’m fine,” Riko hiccups, and when she looks up at Yohane she’s smiling. Yohane relaxes a little, but still seems nervous. “Really. It’s… been a long time since I’ve tasted home cooking. It’s good, really it is.”

“Ah,” Yohane nods, immediately grasping the situation. Living alone, she must not cook that much. Most probably, this Chika, or Yō, did the bulk of the cooking when they lived together. “I’m… glad it’s good.”

Yohane stands there for a moment longer, before sitting down awkwardly and getting started on her breakfast as well - after liberal applications of tabasco sauce. Tucking in silently, she just glances at Riko every so often, not sure how to continue the conversation.

Her phone goes off suddenly with a message. Yohane checks the notification, and her eyes widen when she notices the sender. It’s her boss.

_We need to talk about your mission._

“Sorry. It’s from… uh, it’s from my agent.” Yohane stands up. “I need to go.”

Riko nods slightly. “Okay.”

Yohane’s almost past the door before Riko calls for her again. “Yohane?”

She turns around, gives Riko a small smile. “Yeah?”

“Will we see each other again?” Riko asks, hopefully.

Yohane hesitates, glances at the message from her boss, before turning to Riko again. “I’m sure we will,” She smiles reassuringly, before closing the door behind her, leaving Riko alone in the apartment flat once more. Riko sighs. Yohane didn't even finish her breakfast yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has the means to actually try making the mixed drinks I propose in the story, please get back to me on how they taste because me and my friends are actually very curious but don't have the funds to get decent alcohol to mix???


	2. Trick in Heart

When Yohane arrives back in Hell, her boss is nowhere to be found, so she decides to take some time to herself, drawing up a relaxing bath and allowing herself to becoming lost in the warm sensations.

As she closes her eyes, easing into the warm, watery embrace of her bath, she can’t help but think back to the events of the previous night, after she repelled the thugs that (foolishly) planned to assault her and Riko. She had released her angelic powers, revealing her wings in the process, and made short work of her assailants.

Thankfully, it seems Riko was too intoxicated to really notice what _actually_ happened… With luck, Riko would treat the whole ordeal as a drunken fever-dream.

Yohane shakes her head. Why should she care so much about how one human sees her?

She sighs and turns over, submerging her face in the warm water. The sounds of Hell are silenced, replaced only by the bubbling gurgle of the fountain feeding into her bath. It’s a soothing silence, leaving Yohane alone with her thoughts. She needs the quiet to think.

After she got rid of their assailants, Yohane took Riko back up to her apartment - thanks to drunken instructions from the girl - and got her into bed, tugging off her shoes and taking off her coat so she doesn’t catch a cold. Yohane had hesitated, staring at Riko’s unconscious form, blanket drawn up half-way over her body.

Her hand had hovered over Riko’s face, feeling the warmth radiating off of the girl. She was so vulnerable, in her plain dress, so thin that Yohane might as well see right through it.

She was completely defenseless, intoxicated as she was. Yohane could just reach in, pluck her soul from her sleeping form. It’s not like Riko was going to resist her advances in her stupor.

It could have been so easy. Undo her top, take off her dress, do the deed quickly and leech off Riko’s soul like that.

But Yohane had stayed her hand, not even touching the girl as she sighed and turned away, draping the blanket over the girl and tucking her in. Tearing her lingering gaze away from Riko, Yohane had shut the door behind her, and decided to stay the night, crashing on Riko’s couch.

She was so close to completing her mission. All she had to do was exploit Riko’s weakness and intoxication - something Yohane’s done time and again to previous marks.

Yohane doesn’t need to breathe, but she surfaces anyway, taking a deep breath, inhaling the humid bathroom air in huge gulps. _Maybe that’s too much thinking for one day,_ she muses, as she rises out of the spacious bathtub and starts toweling herself down, taking care in patting dry the dark feathery wings extending from her back.

Wrapping a towel around herself, she shakes her hair out and flares her wings, throwing the last bits of moisture off.

She’s just stepped out of the bathroom when she stops, perplexed at the sight in front of her.

Her boss is sprawled across her bed, her gaze transfixed on her bubblegum-pink phone. She scrolls a thumb over the screen, giggles quietly to herself, keeps scrolling, this time shaking her head in bemusement. She looks up, finally realizing that Yohane has come out of the bathroom.

“Hey, Yohane.”

“Why are you in my room?” Yohane pauses. “Actually, _how_ are you in my room? I distinctly remember locking the door on my way out.”

Yohane’s boss smiles impishly at her.

“Well, one doesn’t become the #1 devil in the whole universe without having a few tricks up her sleeve.”

“Okay, but that’s illegal.”

“We’re forces of biblical evil, sweetie. Our existence is illegal.”

Yohane stops to consider that. “…Fair point.”

“Anyway,” Her boss clears her throat. “That’s not what’s important right now.”

She puts down her phone, pushing herself up and sitting crosslegged on Yohane’s bed.

There’s a sudden intensity in her gaze when she looks at Yohane, and suddenly the fallen angel remembers her boss’ ominous text to her. “Sit down.”

Yohane swallows instinctively and sits down a short distance away.

“Closer,” Her boss pats the space on the bed right in front of her. “I’m not gonna bite.”

Yohane doesn’t comment on the razor sharp canines revealed in her boss’ toothy grin, and inches closer to her. Her boss scoots around behind her, and Yohane flinches when she feels her boss’ nails on her neck, only to relax a few seconds later when she realizes the devil is just running her hands through her hair, humming under her breath. She starts to feel her boss work with her hair, twining them together, tugging and pulling gently.

“Um…” Yohane tries to look behind her, but her boss tuts and puts a finger against Yohane’s cheek, forcing her to look forward.

“I can’t do your hair if you keep looking back at me. I know I’m perfect but geez, give a girl a break,” Her boss grins.

“Right,” Yohane mutters, staring ahead.

There’s a lull in the conversation as Yohane stays quiet, the room silent save for the faint rustling of hair and the low humming coming from her boss. It’s almost motherly, the way she’s tending to Yohane’s hair.

“So, your mission.”

Her boss suddenly speaks up, and Yohane flinches. She tries to pull away, but her boss has a strand of her hair in her hand.

“I’m not mad, Yohane. You let her go, but I’m not going to scold you about it.”

Yohane stops and turns slightly to glance at her boss. Her boss doesn’t stop her, and smiles comfortingly when their eyes meet.

“You’re not?”

“I’m not.”

“Even though I let her go?”

“Even though you let her go.”

Yohane holds her breath. There’s a wisdom to her boss’ words, like she’s lived it before, like she’s been in Yohane’s position. But there’s no way - her boss is the most successful devil to come out of the infiltration department. Never missed a mark in her entire career.

But the way her crimson eyes glimmer with understanding, her lips curved in a gentle smile, Yohane can’t help but feel a connection to the elder demon.

“Why?” Yohane asks. “Didn’t I break the rules?”

“Well,” Her boss clucks her tongue. “Maybe I’m a little annoyed. Your antics gave me a ton of paperwork to fill out.”

“Sorry,” Yohane winces, but her boss just laughs, reaching out and patting her on the head.

“You may be older than me in age, but I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’m used to insubordination.”

She snaps a hair band around Yohane’s new braid, giving it a good pat. “There. Take a look in the mirror.”

Yohane stands up, glancing at the floor mirror. It looks nice - Yohane only ever styles herself by magic, so it’s surprising that her boss of all people knows how to braid hair.

“Anyway,” Yohane’s boss sits up. “I have to ask. Why did you let the mortal go, Yohane? You had her, right in front of you.”

“I…” Yohane hesitates. Why _did_ she let Riko go?

She tries to think, but all that comes to mind is Riko’s dopey drunken smile.

“I… don’t know. I just… felt like it.”

“Mm. Feelings are as good as any reason to do something. We demons are fickle creatures, after all.”

Yohane’s boss stretches, lying down languidly on Yohane’s bed. She closes her eyes, casting her mind back to the days when she herself was in the field, harvesting souls and charming mortals. A flash of red crosses her vision, and she sighs. “There’s something you need to know, Yohane.”

“What is it?” Yohane glances at her boss, nervously.

“There’s one mark in every demon’s life that’s… different. They stick out.” Yohane’s boss says, softly. “They linger in your mind, and you just can’t get them out of your head. Suddenly they’re not just prey anymore. Not just a mortal.”

“Your magic didn’t work on her. That’s one of the signs. This girl, this mortal, she’s your one.”

“Wait,” Yohane says, confusion clouding her mind. “All demons go through this? Even you?”

“Even me.” Her boss nods.

“So… what happens now?”

Yohane’s boss shrugs. “Most demons get over it. They crush the glimmers of warmth in their heart, leaving themselves cold and soulless. They’ll treat their one the same way they do everyone else, and go on with their lives.”

Yohane shivers. She tries to imagine doing that to Riko. She’s seen what happens to those whose souls are leeched from - it’s not a pleasant experience. She feels a little sick at the idea of Riko going through that.

“What did _you_ do?” Yohane looks down at her boss stretched out on her bed.

Yohane’s boss hesitates. “It took me a year. Every month, going back and seeing her. But…” She bites her lip. “I did it.”

“Oh.” Yohane says, weakly. She looks down again. “I don’t know what to do.” She says, quietly. “Do I drain her? Do I forfeit my mark? What should I do?”

“What do you want to do?” Yohane’s boss asks. She’s fiddling with a strand of her own hair distractedly. “You have to decide.”

“…I have no idea.” Yohane admits. She walks over and sits down next to her boss. “I’ve never felt this way before. So… conflicted. Not even when I fell from Heaven…”

“That’s okay.” Her boss says. She gives Yohane a comforting pat on the shoulder. “You’re young. You have time to decide.”

“But… that doesn’t answer my question at all.”

“Young one, rarely will the path to the future be handed directly to you,” Her boss says mysteriously. Then she grins and sits up again, turning to look at Yohane. “But this time I’ll throw you a bone. I’m the best of the best, after all.”

Yohane forgets sometimes her boss is a fucking gremlin.

“Go to the mortal world. Live there for a while. Clear your head, and think for yourself, not as a demon or as a fallen angel, but as Yohane. I can always tell you the ‘correct’ answer - that’s to do your job and drain her soul - but it’s not necessarily going to be the answer that you agree with. So get out there, and find your own answer.”

She snaps her fingers, and before Yohane can ask anything else, her boss vanishes in a flash of sulphur and smoke.

“That’s… not very helpful,” Yohane sighs. Looking down, she realizes she’s still only wearing a towel, and decides to go get some proper clothes.

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

“Hello? Yes - um, Mr. Fumi?”

Riko fumbles nervously with her phone. It’s a few days after her… encounter with Yohane, and life has gone back to its normal, dull pace. If anything, it’s gotten even more unbearable. Yohane reminded her of the old days, when things worked. When her life wasn’t a complete mess. When things were exciting, and colorful, and unpredictable.

“Yes… um, I apologize for missing last week’s slot, I had personal matters to — yes. Yes. I… I understand. I know the agreement was for a weekly performance but I… you found a replacement performer? What about— no, wait. Please, Mr. Fumi—”

The call cuts off, and she sighs as she puts her phone down. That’s the third one of her regular employers telling her that her performance slot at their establishments has been replaced by another performer.

Not that she blames them. Riko hasn’t performed in weeks. She just… can’t, right now.

Running a hand through her hair, Riko breathes out and lets herself slump over, resting her cheek against the cool tabletop. She needs to get a job, a proper one. Her savings won’t last forever. But her degree in music isn’t going to do much for her if she can’t play music.

She looks up when the doorbell rings suddenly.

“Who…?” She tilts her head. She’s not expecting anyone; Yo and Chika are still out of town, and she didn’t order anything.

“Who is it?” She calls out, as she gets up and heads for the door.

“It’s me.”

Riko stops. The voice is familiar. She’s just been thinking about the owner of the voice, but she didn’t think she’d be back so soon. Or ever.

“…Yohane?” Riko opens the door, just a crack, leaving the chain in.

Sure enough, it’s the gorgeous, jaw-dropping, blue-haired woman, with those radiant pink eyes. She’s not wearing the dress she wore last time, which is kind of a shame - she looked really nice in it. And Riko’s not saying that just because it showed skin.

Instead, she’s wearing a black hoodie and under that, a white t-shirt with an angel wing logo across her chest. A far cry to how she looked in the bar, but this outfit has a casual, devil-may-care attitude that suits Yohane - maybe even more than the dress.

“Hey,” Yohane gives her an awkward smile. Riko notices that she’s dragging a suitcase behind her. “Can I come in?”

“Uh…” She takes a look behind her. Her house is reasonably tidy. “Sure. Just a sec.”

She closes the door, takes out the chain, and opens the door again. “Just leave your shoes by the door.”

Yohane nods, slipping off her sandals and stepping into the apartment.

“Sorry for being so abrupt.”

“No, it’s fine,” Riko says. “I wasn’t doing anything important, anyway.” _Just getting fired. No big deal._

Yohane leaves her suitcase by the door, standing around awkwardly for a moment before sitting down on the couch.

“Do you want anything? Tea? Um… I think I have tea…” Riko wanders through the kitchen, opening empty cabinets and cupboards. “…I guess I don’t have tea.”

Yohane shakes her head. “That’s okay. I’m not thirsty.”

Riko glances at her for a moment, pours out two glasses of water, and walks back over to the couch, setting the glasses down on the coffee table in front of the couch.

“So…” She sits down next to Yohane, takes a sip. Yohane looks nervous. The two times that Riko has seen Yohane, she’s always been confident, sure of herself. In control of the situation. Things that Riko isn’t. To see her jittery is a fresh sight, though it puts Riko on edge too. “What brings you back here?”

She pauses. “Not that I mind. You’re, uh… you’re good company. I just didn’t think you’d be back anytime soon.”

She glances at Yohane. The woman seems conflicted, hesitant. “There’s… there’s a favour I need to ask of you.”

“Oh,” Riko blinks. Her? What does Yohane want from her? “Uh… I’ll try my best to help, but I don’t know what I can do for you…”

“Well…” Yohane taps her fingers together. “I’m staying in this city for a bit longer. But I can’t really… afford… staying in a hotel. And you’re the only one I really know in town.”

“So…” Riko gulps. “What, you want to crash here? In my apartment?”

Yohane looks away, blushing slightly. She’s cute when she’s flustered, Riko notes in the back of her mind, though she’s too preoccupied by the matter at hand to register that on more than a subconscious level.

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Yohane begins slowly, stealing glances at Riko. “I’d like to stay with you for the duration of my visit. If that’s alright. I mean, if you’re not okay with it, that’s cool, I can just—”

“No!” Riko interrupts hastily. “That’s fine. Um, I don’t have another room though…”

“I can just sleep on the couch,” Yohane says quickly. “I don’t mind.”

She looks hopefully at Riko. “So, you’re okay with me staying with you?”

“That’s fine. It’s, great, actually. The apartment feels a little empty sometimes. It’ll be nice having someone to talk to.” Riko smiles. “I look forward to our time together.”

She holds out her hand, which Yohane shakes firmly. Riko’s heart jumps a little at the touch - Yohane’s hands are satin soft. But she contains her mounting excitement and stands up, gesturing at the apartment. “Well, if you’re going to be staying here, I should probably show you around… uh, how long will you be in town for?”

“A month, maybe.” Yohane says. “I’m looking for inspiration. Kind of got a block.”

Riko nods, leading her around the apartment. There’s not much to see, to be perfectly honest, but Riko tries to make it sound interesting anyway, and Yohane seems to eat it up with good graces. The apartment is pretty much just a big living room with connected kitchen, a toilet, and a bedroom. The bedroom is off-limits for now, until Riko finds a place to securely hide her saucy _kabekui_ doujinshis.

Thank God Yohane didn’t notice them when she took Riko home.

Once Yohane has settled down and unpacked, even volunteering to cook dinner for the two of them (it’s delicious and Riko reaffirms that allowing Yohane to stay is a good idea), she drops another bombshell that surprises Riko.

“I’m gonna see if I can get a job at the _Guilty Kiss,_ ” Yohane says, half-way into the meal. Riko stops, looking up questioningly. “I’m trying to write something that’s centered on a bar, and I really like the atmosphere in the _Guilty Kiss_.”

“Oh.”

Riko swallows the mouthful of pasta she has in her mouth and nods. “I can call Mari for you, if you want. Ask if she needs any short-term employees.”

Yohane smiles gratefully. “Thanks, I’ll owe you one.”

Riko shakes her head. “It’s just a question, you don’t owe me anything. In fact, I still need to thank you for helping me back home. So we’re even.”

“Well…” Yohane considers this for a moment, before eventually nodding. “Fair enough.”

Once the two of them finish off the pasta that Yohane cooked, Riko takes her phone out and gives Mari a call. It’s not happy hour quite yet, so she should be free. The ringer goes off a few times, then Mari picks up.

_“Riko! You don’t call me that often. What’s the occasion?”_

Riko licks her lips to wet them, glancing at Yohane. She’ll probably have to explain why she’s asking on Yohane’s behalf, knowing how nosy Mari is.

“Nothing huge. It’s just… is the _Guilty Kiss_ looking for short-term employment? A friend of mine is curious…”

 _“A friend, Riko? It’s not Chika or You, I assume…”_ Mari hums. _“Who’s asking? I’m not going to just hire anyone. You know that.”_

“Yes, but… um…” Riko glances at Yohane again. “It’s… do you remember the girl who drank with me and helped me out the last few times I showed up?”

 _“Oh! Yohane? The pretty girl with pink eyes?”_ Riko can almost hear the shit-eating grin on Mari’s face. _“I wonder why our Riko’s asking for her? Could it be that you two are…”_

“No! No. It’s nothing like that. She just needed somewhere to stay for a while, and my apartment is always free, so…” Riko stops, composing her thoughts. “It’s like… um, Airbnb. That’s all.”

 _“Okay, I gotcha, I gotcha,”_ Mari giggles conspiratorially, and Riko is convinced she doesn’t get it at all. _“So she wants to get a job here while she’s staying? I’m okay with that. Tell her to come up, say, after lunch tomorrow, before I open shop. I’ll put her through the exam.”_

Riko glances over to Yohane giving her a small nod of confirmation, while thanking Mari over the phone. Hanging up the call, she gives Yohane a smile and says, “She says it’s fine. She’ll meet you tomorrow, just head over to the _Guilty Kiss_ after lunch time. There’s some kind of test, apparently.”

“Thanks, Riko.” Yohane gives Riko a bright smile, and Riko feels slightly weak at the knees.

“Don’t mention it,” She says, looking away.

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

And so it is that Yohane finds herself in front of the _Guilty Kiss_ again, this time in daylight. A sign is hung over the door - “Closed”. She hesitates for a moment. Is this really what she wants to do?

Be yourself. Not as a demon or a fallen angel, but as Yohane.

Yohane breathes out, getting the jitters out of her system, and knocks on the door, before going to open it. The door isn’t locked, and pushing past it, Yohane finds the establishment’s lights are off, with only a lamp near the back illuminating the bar, where Mari is sitting, apparently scrubbing down cups.

“Hello?”

Mari looks up, and gives Yohane a broad smile. “Yohane! _Shiny~_ ☆”

She steps out from behind the bar - Yohane notes she’s not wearing anything fancy, just a plain white t-shirt and tight fitting jeans - and comes over to Yohane, sweeping the fallen angel up in a hug. Yohane has to struggle to not react too strongly to the particulars of Mari’s gifted anatomy.

“Hi, Mari. Nice to see you again,” Yohane says, giving Mari an awkward pat on the back in return.

“Good to see you too,” Mari says, looking the fallen angel over. She hums, and smiles at her. “You know, you look better in casual than in a dress. You’ve got spunk like this.”

Yohane looks down at her unimpressive hoodie-and-jeans combo. “I guess? I’ve never been much for fashion…”

“Oh, is that so? But your outfit matches so well…” Mari muses, pulling back and stepping behind the counter. She looks down for a moment, and suddenly Yohane feels like she’s looking at a completely different person - no longer a slightly air-headed beauty, but a businesswoman, a professional.

Mari reaches for a few things from under the counter, and sets it onto the countertop. “You want a job here at our bar, right? You’ve got to at least know the basics if you do.”

Yohane bites her lip, but nods. She’s determined to succeed.

Mari gestures at the bottles assembled before her. Yohane can identify vodka, and peach schnapps, and what looks like juice or something. There’s also a bucket of ice. There’s a slip of paper, roughly outlining a recipe.

“Mix me a classic Sex on the Beach,” Mari says. “Impress me… or, well, just be good enough. Drunks won’t know the difference.”

Yohane nods, and after scanning the recipe, she gets to work mixing the vodka and schnapps together, pouring into a glass then adding in the juice. She stares at the drink for a moment - theoretically it’s complete, but she has a bad feeling about it.

“Can I taste test first?” Yohane asks. Mari shrugs, which Yohane takes as a yes, and she raises the glass to her lips.

 _Eugh._ Yohane has to fight to suppress a cringe as the drink hits her tongue. It’s bad. Entirely too sour. The balance between vodka and schnapps is completely off, too. There’s no way she’s giving something like this to Mari.

Furrowing her brow, she encircles the glass with her hands and focuses. If Jesus can turn water to wine, Yohane can sure as Hell turn alcohol into better alcohol. The familiar tingle of magic fills her senses, and when she next takes a sip from the glass, it’s perfectly mixed and tastes _amazing_.

With a confident smirk, she passes the glass to Mari.

Mari takes the glass, sniffs it a few times, and takes a sip. Her eyes blink a few times, and she takes another, longer drink. “Hm! It’s good! Missing a little… hm… it’s missing a little something or another, but it’s good.”

“What is it missing?” Yohane frowns. She’s sure she used the right kind of transmutation to get the flavor just so.

“I dunno,” Mari shrugs, smiling airily. “Love, maybe? It doesn’t have that extra kick to it. But - it’s good enough. Better than most people can mix.”

“So…” Yohane holds her breath.

“You’re hired!” Mari claps her hands together excitedly, and Yohane breathes out in a sigh of relief. “Welcome to the family. You’ll meet some of the other employees today - I do Fridays alone, but the rest of the week we have part-timers come in. Today’s part-timer should be… hmm… Kunikida?”

Yohane freezes.

“Uh, who?”

“Kunikida. Kunikida Hanamaru. Nice girl. A bit rustic, but a good girl at heart,” Mari says. “You’ll see.”

Yohane nods mutely. This is her notorious fallen angel’s luck, no doubt. Her past is coming back to haunt her. First she runs into a girl immune to her magic, throwing her into this tailspin of an experience, next she runs into Hanamaru… She shouldn’t remember who Yohane is, but still… bad luck.

“We don’t have a uniform, so just wear whatever suits your fancy. The patrons won’t mind, mostly,” Mari pauses. “Just don’t turn up in your pajamas.”

“Okay…” Yohane says, looking around. Mari notices, and decides to lead her on a tour around the _Guilty Kiss_. It’s not too big, and Yohane’s seen most of it during her visits, except for the backroom, which is pretty much just a chair plus a big refrigerating unit with spare bottles in case the ones up front run out. There’s also a locker with four units.

Mari hands Yohane a thin booklet, filled with handwritten recipes. “These are our house drinks. You should probably learn them - you’re not gonna be expected to mix anything on your first day, but you should start learning early.”

Yohane takes the booklet and starts flipping through it. Mari’s handwriting is fancy and barely legible, but after half an hour or so of reading over the booklet she thinks she has a good enough grasp of the drinks to at least fake it with her magic.

Just as she’s about done, the door to the bar opens, and two girls walk in. Mari looks up from her cleaning and smiles brightly. “Hanamaru! Ruby! Come, meet our newest hire! She’s only going to be here for… a month?”

She turns to look at Yohane for confirmation, who nods. “A month, but still! Introduce yourselves!”

Yohane momentarily forgets how to breathe. Hanamaru looks almost the same as when Yohane last saw her - long flowing hair, wide amber eyes, short but curvy figure. For a panic inducing second, it seems like Hanamaru recognizes Yohane, a flicker of emotion appearing in her eyes. But then she bows, and politely says, “My name is Kunikida Hanamaru. You can call me Hanamaru, or Maru. Nice to meet you, zura.”

She straightens up and gives Yohane a dazzling smile. Yohane sighs internally in relief. “Nice to meet you, too. My name is—“

She stops when she notices the girl behind Hanamaru. Red hair done up in pig tails, blue eyes. A petite build. But her appearance isn’t what catches Yohane off guard, even if she _is_ very cute. It’s the unmistakeable halo around her, the signature of angelic beings, that’s immediately alarming to Yohane.

“…Erm, sorry. My name is Yohane. I’ll be in your care for the next while.”

The angel is eying Yohane suspiciously. Devils, even fallen angels, are better at hiding their aura than angels, but Yohane’s certain she won’t be able to hide for long. Bad luck, again. Yohane curses her terrible fortunes.

“Ruby?” Mari prompts, and the angel jumps, startled.

“Um!” She says hurriedly, the mild suspicion evaporating into apparent nervousness. “My name is- um, my name is Kurosawa Ruby. Nice to meet you…”

Yohane leans closer to Mari. “Does Ruby work here?” She whispers.

Mari shakes her head, and Yohane has to resist cheering out loud. Her plans would have been ruined if she has to hide her angelic nature from another angel while working.

Yohane gives Ruby a smile. “Nice to meet you,” she says cordially, careful not to let anything on.

Ruby smiles back politely, ducking shyly behind Hanamaru. It doesn’t seem like she’s suspicious anymore, and Yohane lets out a small sigh of relief.

“Mari,” Hanamaru speaks up. “I’ll get changed in the back, zura.”

“Okay. The third locker should be free.” Mari says, giving her a wave as Hanamaru steps into the backroom. She then looks at Yohane and Ruby, the latter having taken a seat at the bar. “I have to go get something from my car, so Yohane - your first job as an unofficial _Guilty Kiss_ employee is to keep Ruby away from the beer tap. She’s a wild one.”

Ruby opens her mouth to protest, but Mari has already skipped out from behind the bar and is halfway out of the door. Yohane stares at the doorway, then back to Ruby. “…Please stay away from the beer tap.”

Ruby flushes red. “It’s not true! I’m not a wild one… really… I’m not…”

 _She’s cute._ Yohane fights the urge to squeeze Ruby’s cheeks. She’s forgotten how terrifying angelic charm can be, at least not on the receiving end of things. Even though she herself is partially angelic, it’s hard to not find Ruby a stunner.

“I gathered that much,” Yohane instead says dryly. “You don’t look like someone who would raid a beer tap.”

Ruby breathes out in relief. “Oh, good. Mari’s a little playful sometimes, but she’s… nice.”

“She seems nice,” Yohane nods. “She let me work here, after all.”

“Mhmm…” Ruby hums in agreement. “And she was really patient when Maru first started working.”

Yohane tenses up at the mention of Hanamaru. “About… Hanamaru.”

Ruby looks up, intrigued.

“You two seem close.” Yohane says, carefully. “Are you two…” She gestures vaguely, holding up her pinky finger meaningfully. “Together?”

“What!” Ruby blushes bright red, her cheeks almost the same color as her hair. “No! I wouldn’t dare- me and Maru- we’re just- we’re just friends. We’re roommates!”

Yohane studies Ruby for a moment. For an angel to live with a human, there can only be one explanation - Ruby is Hanamaru’s guardian angel. Though, judging from her reaction, Ruby’s feelings for Hanamaru extend beyond pure responsibility.

But more importantly for Yohane, guardian angels aren’t usually on the lookout for demons - they just protect their charges. As long as Yohane doesn’t hurt Hanamaru, she should be fine.

“Okay.” Yohane says simply, nodding. “I mean, I’m not going to question that, or anything. I was just curious.”

“Okay. Okay,” Ruby calms down a little, looking away from Yohane. “It’s just… people assume a lot… and she’s in a delicate position right now, so I- um… Yeah. Thanks for… not questioning.”

“Mm.” Yohane hums noncommittally. Ruby’s clearly inexperienced - Hanamaru might just be her first charge. It explains her jitteriness. Or maybe it’s just part of her personality. “People have their own circumstances. I’m not going to pry too much, especially not when it’s not wanted.”

But despite her jitteriness, it’s clear Ruby cares deeply for Hanamaru. That gives Yohane some peace of mind. At least the girl is in good hands… and seems to be doing fine, despite what Yohane put her through. Yohane doesn’t feel guilty - she’s long since come to terms with what she must do to survive - but she’s relieved someone’s fixing the mess she leaves behind.

At that point Hanamaru comes out of the back room, having changed out of her previous plain t-shirt into a black pinafore dress over a long sleeved shirt with black-and-white stripes. Yohane thought she looked a little bland, before, but with her change in clothes she fits better in with the modern aesthetic of the bar.

“Sorry I took so long,” Hanamaru apologizes, stepping up beside Yohane. “Um… Miss Yohane, was it?”

“Just Yohane is fine,” Yohane says. “I’d rather we not stand on formalities. We’ll be working together for the next month or so, after all.”

“Yohane, then, zura.” Hanamaru extends a hand, and Yohane gives it a good shake.

Soon enough Mari comes back as well, and the three of them (plus a little assistance from Ruby) go through the rest of the preparations for setting the bar up to business. By the time they push all the chairs into place and give the floor a last good sweep, the sun has started to set, marking the beginning of happy hour.

“I’ll leave you to your work then,” Ruby says, giving Hanamaru a goodbye hug as the first patrons start wandering into the bar. “See you tonight?”

“I’ll try to be back before 4, zura.” Hanamaru promises, returning the hug.

Mari, standing off to one side with Yohane, whispers in Yohane’s ear. “They’re adorable, aren’t they?”

Yohane has to agree, it warms the pits of her dark corrupted heart to watch the two interact. As Ruby leaves the bar, Hanamaru gives her a final wave goodbye, before straightening up, her expression growing sterner and more professional. Just in time, too, as the first patron comes up to the bar and sits down. His order is simple - a whisky, on the rocks, which Hanamaru quickly gets to work pouring out.

While there’s still time, Mari explains to Yohane what Hanamaru is doing as she picks out a round ice cube, and selects a whisky appropriate to the patron’s tastes. Hanamaru picks scotch whisky - a classic, as Mari describes - and slides it to the patron with practiced ease.

“Cheers, love.” “You’re welcome, zura.”

The process repeats itself as more patrons start to come in the bar, and eventually, Mari has to leave Yohane alone to tend the bar as well, leaving Yohane with the instructions to collect dirty glasses from around the bar, and if she has time, clean the glasses.

As Yohane winds her way around the room, she takes orders as well, returning to the bar with a list of new drinks and an armful of dirty glasses. “Table three wants a manhattan. Table six wants four jagerbombs. Table nine wants two trappers.”

Mari smirks as she watches Yohane at work. “You sure you’re new to this? You seem pretty good at this already.”

“You flatter me,” Yohane replies, as she ferries the newest batch of drinks to their respective tables.

“I already know I’m going to miss you when you leave.” Mari comments, before turning away to serve drinks to several patrons over the counter. “Are you sure you can’t stay?”

Yohane hesitates. Then she shakes her head. She’s only there for long enough to make a decision. Devils can’t get attached for long. “Sorry, but unfortunately not.”

Mari sighs in disappointment. “A shame. You’re a natural, you know?”

Of course. Yohane cheats with magic - if she’s not excelling at barkeeping she’s doing something terribly wrong.

“Still,” Yohane looks around. “It’s surprisingly quiet, after a while.”

It’s true - once the initially rounds make it to their respective tables, the patrons start launching into their own conversations, and Yohane finds herself surprisingly having nothing to do. Mari chuckles. “This is the best part of the job. Pour yourself something - you’ll get some time to rest until the next round of drinks.”

Mari already has a glass of something or another in her hand, and she’s taking delicate sips from it. Hanamaru isn’t drinking, but she does look like she’s starting to relax, sitting behind the bar and reading a book. Yohane shrugs, and grabs a beer from the fridge, popping the cap and taking a sip from the bottle.

The night goes on. Mari starts chatting up some of the patrons - regulars, by the looks of it, who recognize both Mari and Hanamaru. They make some polite conversation with Yohane, too, but between her mildly aloof attitude and getting steadily more inebriated, they don’t really get anywhere, and their focus quickly drifts off to other things.

Then, the unexpected happens. The door is practically kicked open, and the girl with the ash-brown hair, from the first night, swaggers into the room, grinning like she owns the place. She’s wearing a black muscle shirt that bears both her arms, a lot of her back, and a fair bit of her chest. She was also wearing a snap-back with her own name on it, the letters YOU in full caps emblazoned on the front.

“Watanabe _in the house!_ ” Yo grins, calling out towards the counter. “Rounds for everyone! Put it on my tab!”

There’s a cheer that goes around the bar.

“You don’t _have_ a tab, Yo.” Mari calls back, smirking. “Nor can you afford to do that.”

“Put it on Chika’s, then.”

“Chika doesn’t have a tab, either. And she’s even more unemployed than you.”

“…Shit.” Yo waves her arms at the patrons in the bar. “Sorry, guys! No free round.”

There’s a groan of disappointment that goes around the bar. You shrugs, and heads over to the bar. Following close behind her, looking thoroughly embarrassed, is Riko.

“I do have the money for a drink, though.” She slaps a wad of cash onto the counter. “Gimme your best, you glorious shiny bastard.”

“The gauntlet has been thrown. Hanamaru, Yohane, hold the fort.” Mari gets a dangerous glint in her eyes, and she disappears into the backroom. Hanamaru nods, and ventures out onto the bar floor to deal with the patrons.

Yohane watches this bizarre exchange, before turning to study Yo. She’s very well toned, now that most of her body is visible. Yohane’s not sure what she’s supposed to be looking at, with the girl’s revealing attire: her bright grin, her ample bosom, or her rippling biceps.

Noticing her watching, Yo grins at Yohane at gives her a salute. “Hey! Fancy meeting you again.”

“Uh… yeah.” Yohane’s not sure how to respond, for once.

“Watanabe Yo.” She extends a hand. “Occasional fitness instructor. Professional memelord.”

“…Yohane.” Yohane shakes her hand. There’s a flicker of recognition in Yo’s expression when Yohane tells her name.

“So, you’re the one crashing with Riko, huh?” Yo hums, leaning forward.

Yohane nods slowly. “Yes… she’s letting me stay with her for my trip."

“You’re doing all of us a favour, then. She’s been miserable, and none of us have been able to fix that. You’re a regular miracle.” Yo grins and pats Yohane on the shoulder.

“Yo… Shush…” Riko muttered, embarrassed.

Mari comes out from the backroom soon after, with a familiar pitch black drink in hand. “I have created a monster. The Fever 2.0. Double the alcohol. Triple the regret.”

Yo’s eyes are wide as Mari sets the drink down in front of her. “I’m gonna spend the rest of the night out cold from downing this bad boy.” She glances at Yohane, giving her a quick smirk. “It’s been fun, Yohane. I’ll see you on the other side.”

She takes her first drink of the Fever, and it’s all down hill from there. Instead of watching Yo get drunker and drunker, Yohane instead turns to Riko, giving her a friendly smile. “Can’t say I was expecting you to come along. It’s not a Friday, is it?”

Riko sits down in front of the counter. “I was a little curious what kinds of jobs Mari was going to put you through.”

“So far I’ve been serving and cleaning up. No drink mixing, yet, but I’m getting there.”

“Sounds… about right? I suppose?” Riko blushes faintly. “I actually don’t really know how bars work.”

“That’s alright.” Yohane grins. “Neither do I.”

She pauses, and stands a little taller, putting forward her best professional bartender composure. “So, can I get you anything? I _am_ on the job, the least I can do is place your order.”

“Uhm… one Fragile Love?” Riko asks, after studying the menu. “That’s the one with the lower alcohol content, right?”

Yohane taps her chin, scrolling through her memory of the book of custom recipes Mari gave her. The Fragile Love is probably the new one that Mari was working on last time, if she remembers correctly. The one that has a weird radioactive glow.

“One Fragile Love, coming up,” Yohane says. “Mari?”

“Wait, I’m busy watching Yo destroy her liver.”

“What about Riko’s drink?”

“Well…” Mari glances at Hanamaru, who’s collecting glasses on the other side of the bar. She turns back to Yohane, and gives her a sly smile. “Riko’s not going to sue us… so you can probably mix that.”

Yohane turns to Riko. “Do you mind?”

Riko shakes her head, so Yohane sets to work mixing the drink from the recipe. Turns out, Mari uses Quinine in the mix, so the drink glows blue under the blacklights suspended above the bar counter. Since she’s pretty damn sure it’ll taste terrible, she then uses her magic to make it taste better. Riko’s directly immune to her magic, but she’s sure her enchanted drink should still affect Riko.

“A Fragile Love.” Yohane set the drink down on the counter. “Enjoy.”

“Thank you,” Riko smiles, and takes a sip. “Oh! It’s good!” She looks at the glass in surprise, before her cheeks colour and she quickly adds, “N-Not that I thought it’d be bad! You’re good at cooking after all, I’m just— Sorry. It’s good, really it is.”

“…Thanks.”

“ _Hey._ ” Yo suddenly slumps onto the counter-space next to Riko. “You— uh… you two should kiss.”

“ _Yo!_ ” Riko blushes, pushing her away. “You’re drunk. Go home.”

“I still gotta-“ Yo grabs her three-quarters-finished glass of Fever 2.0. She takes another gulp, and her cheeks flush even redder. “I’m not gonna- gonna be beaten by a stupid glass…”

She burps, and keeps going. “But you two should, like, totally- totally kiss. If you’re not gonna I might- uh, are ya free tomorrow, Yohane? Cuz I wanna, just, like, make babies with you you’re so pretty.”

If Riko can get any more red from shame she’d be on fire, but she can’t, so she settles with getting Mari to drag Yo off and glancing apologetically at Yohane. “Yo’s nice, really. She’s just… extra, when it comes to Mari. They were in the same sorority, which was _the_ party sorority. They used to have running tallies of how many shot glasses they broke in a night.”

“Ah.” Yohane grimaces. She’s had to infiltrate one of those types before. She stank of alcohol for days after that particular mission. “She seems pretty fun, though. She the popular type?”

Riko nods. “She used to be a real heartbreaker. She’s toned it down when we got out of college, but she still messes around, sometimes.”

Yohane watches Yo drunkenly try to show off her biceps to a passing girl.

“Huh. I’d have never guessed.” She deadpans, before deciding to change the subject. “So… you told her? About us?”

Riko blushes. “Well, she asked why I needed a lift down to the Guilty Kiss, and one thing led to another…” She stops, and her eyes go wide. “Oh god, I’m so sorry, did you want it a secret? I- I can get Yo to not tell anyone if you don’t like it, it doesn’t have to be a big deal or anything, Yo can keep a secret if she’s asked to, even with how she is she’s a really trustworthy friend, so—!” Riko says frantically, before she’s cut off by Yohane.

“Riko. Chill out.” Yohane sighs, tapping Riko’s glass. “Take a drink, you’re overheating.”

Riko, obediently, takes a drink, breathing out slowly. “Sorry…”

“I’m fine with you telling people about my staying with you. There’s nothing unusual about someone you know staying over.” Yohane hesitates. “I just… well, maybe I’m assuming things, but I thought you would be the one who would be opposed to news being spread. You’re the one who actually lives here, after all.”

“Well…” Riko smiles helplessly. “You’re not wrong. I wasn’t going to say anything at first, since…” She pauses for a moment, breathing in. “Since Chika might hear about it.”

Yohane winces. “…I mean, you don’t _have_ to tell anyone. I know that means a lot to you, so…”

“Well, Chika’s going to hear about it eventually.” Riko sighs. “She has a way of catching rumours.”

“…And you’re okay with that?”

“If it’s you?” Riko smiles weakly at Yohane. “Yeah.”

Yohane stiffens, her cheeks suddenly feeling hot. “Careful there, Riko. That almost sounded like a confession.”

Riko coughs, her face going bright red. She grabs her glass, and downs the entire Fragile Love in one go.

“S-So! Uh, you’re writing a novel, right, Yohane?” Riko asks, quickly changing the subject.

“Um… yes.”

“Tell me about it?”

Yohane sucks her breath in through her teeth. She’s not actually sure what to say. This isn’t part of the plan.

“Well.” She closes her eyes briefly, and decides to go with the flow. “I mentioned it was entered around a bar, right?”

“You did.”

“There’s this girl. She’s a heartbreaker, a butterfly going from relationship to relationship, jumping ship and switching partners like it’s a change of clothes.” Yohane begins. “She’s unrepentant. Never had a reason to stop, right? It’s worked out for her so far.”

“Except one day she meets another girl. She’s down on her luck, feeling miserable. She’s not the first girl’s type, so the first girl spares a moment to ask how the second girl is doing. It’s a classic tale of heartbreak and new beginnings. They bond over time, and the first girl eventually finds herself falling in love. She helps the other girl pick her life back up, and they live happily ever after.”

Yohane stops to take a breath, stealing a glance at Riko. She seems to be deep in thought, her brow furrowed as she stares into her empty cup. “So… what’d you think?”

“Huh?” Riko looks up. “It’s… cliched. I guess. But… I like cliches. It’s a fairytale ending, and the world needs more of those.”

Yohane smiles. “Hey. Maybe there’s one waiting for you out there.”

Riko smiles too, but it doesn’t quite reach the corner of her eyes. “Maybe.”

She looks down again. “Can I get something else to drink? Something a little stronger?”

Yohane bites her lip. “Uh…” On one hand, Riko’s an adult. On the other, Yohane does not want to be the one enabling a potential alcoholic habit.

“I’ve not drunk anything for the whole week, Yocchan. You’re not enabling me.” For a scary moment Yohane thinks Riko’s gotten into her head. Then she remembers the same hesitation in Mari as well, when Riko asked for a drink from her. Riko must be used to the doubt. The lack of trust.

“Alright.” Yohane nods, after a moment of deliberation. Although, she feels the need to address something first. “But… Yocchan?”

Riko blushes. “I think it’s a cute name.”

“I like it,” Yohane grins, and turns around to fix Riko something more substantial. Before long she has a glass of something or another - gin? Gin and tonic? Something like that. Her intuition says Riko will enjoy it.

“Here. This one’s on me.” Yohane hands Riko her drink. Riko starts to argue, but Yohane shakes her head. “You’re already letting me board with you free of charge, this is the least that I can do.”

“…Thanks.” Riko starts sipping at the gin and tonic. “You followed through with the stronger drink thing, huh?”

“Gin and tonic can be as strong or weak as you want. It’s simple, but classy.” Yohane thinks for a moment. “Kinda like you, really.”

Riko blushes again, and takes a long drink out of the glass. “You give me way too much credit…”

A period of silence passes, as Riko just sips on her gin and tonic, and Yohane cleans glasses. Riko’s grown more fidgety - she shifts around from time to time, tapping her fingers on the polished countertop, playing with her hair. Her cheeks are redder.

Finally, Yohane asks, quietly: “What’s Chika like?”

Riko freezes. She looks at Yohane, her eyes sharp for a moment, before she laughs and shakes her head. “That’s cheating, Yocchan. Asking me questions when I’m like this.”

Yohane shrugs. She plays for keeps.

“Chika…” Riko mumbles, tracing the lip of the glass with her finger. “Chika’s radiant. She’s like the sun. Bright. Life-bringing. Kind, caring, sometimes a little insensitive, but never in a mean way. She’s the kind of person who changes the mood in a room just by being in it.”

“We met in college, we all did. I mean, Chika and Yo and Kanan, they go way back. But Chika and I were roommates. Believe it or not, I hated her at first, because she was so loud and outgoing. I just wanted peace and quiet.”

Riko sighs wistfully, staring at the bottom of her glass. Without Yohane realizing, Riko had already made her way through most of the highball glass. “She helped me realize I only hated the noise because I wasn’t part of it. She brought me into the group, showered me with attention, showed me what genuine friendship was — and eventually, what love was.”

"She sounds great.” Yohane comments quietly.

“She is. She inspired me. She convinced me to keep playing the piano, even though I’d already resolved to stop. For a time, she was the reason I lived and breathed, when I felt the most vulnerable.” Riko closes her eyes. The corners of her eyes glisten slightly. “She saved me. Figuratively, _and_ literally.”

She takes a shuddering breath. “And then she left me. I’m sure she has her reasons, but—” She tries to get up, and immediately stumbles. Yohane reaches over the counter and catches her.

“Maybe that was a little _too_ strong.” Yohane mutters.

Riko laughs, though Yohane can tell her heart’s not in it. “Maybe.” She glances over to Yo, who’s trying to reach for her glass but is consistently veering ten degrees to the left. “Though my driver seems drunker than I am.”

Yohane sighs. “I’ll take you back, then.” She looks around for Mari, spotting her across the room. She waves, catching the blonde’s eye, and gestures at Riko. Mari gives her the thumbs up, which Yohane interprets as a go-ahead. “C’mon. I’m given leave.”

“Okay.” Riko murmurs, waiting for Yohane as she collects her belongings from the backroom and makes her way out from behind the counter. She leans instinctively against Yohane, her head spinning from the alcohol.

Riko’s warm. It’s the same familiar warmth soaking into her shoulder, as Yohane helps Riko up the few steps leading to the door, and out onto the streets. Riko’s too drunk to notice, but Yohane spots quite a few unscrupulous types eyeing her up. She wraps an arm around Riko’s waist, causing her to squeak in surprise. She doesn’t struggle, though, settling comfortably against Yohane as they wait for a cab to swing around.

Once again, Yohane’s intimately aware of the difference in their temperatures. Yohane, like the night air, is cool. Riko is, in comparison, blazing hot. It makes Yohane want to get closer to her, hold her tight, have Riko by her side and never let go.

“Hey.” Riko leans in, her breath blistering against Yohane’s face. She’s a little taller than Yohane. Her voice is slurred from the alcohol, but soft.

“Yeah?”

“Why—” Riko hiccups. “Why are you so nice to me? We’re practically strangers. We’ve met two times at a bar. And here you are, helping me home _again_ , for the second time.”

Yohane hesitates. _Because I want to drain your soul._ “…Honestly? I don’t know. It feels right.”

Riko laughs. Her breath is sweet from the liquor. “You act so much like her that it hurts, Yocchan. So kind. So brave. You’re maintaining your distance - I don’t know why, but you are - but I can still feel it. You and her, you’re…”

If Riko knew the whole truth, she won’t be saying the same things. Yohane’s not brave. She’s a coward, hiding behind nigh-omnipotence.

“I’m not Chika, Riko.”

Riko stops. Yohane spoke just as she started to lean in. She shivers for a moment, blinking back tears.

“Why can’t you just kiss me?”

She’s shaking now, grabbing fistfuls of Yohane’s hoodie. “E-Ever since Chika left me it’s like there’s a gaping hole inside me that refuses to heal. And then you showed up… and for the first time in weeks I _wasn’t_ miserable. It was like God answered my prayers. I was hurting, so bad…”

_I’m not an angel, not anymore._

Riko leans in again. This time Yohane doesn’t stop her. She feels Riko’s lips hit hers, the kiss drunken and desperate. Yohane reciprocates a few moments later, kissing back, her tongue wrestling with Riko’s their teeth clashing together messily. She puts an arm around Riko’s back, and runs her other hand through Riko’s hair, pushing them close together.

The feeling is dizzying, intoxicating, almost addicting. Yohane wonders idly, between the throes of desperate desire, if this is the closest Yohane will get to feeling the effects of imbibing. Riko tastes sweet, and her very touch is electrifying. She wants it to last forever.

But then Yohane gently, carefully breaks it off, pushing Riko a little bit away so they can see eye to eye. The air is chilly, especially after the kiss. Riko’s breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed, but Yohane’s expression is carefully kept neutral.

"Do I kiss like her, Riko?” Yohane asks quietly. “Do I?”

Riko shivers. A look of distress crosses her expression, and her lips quiver as tears start flowing from her eyes. She falls forward, collapsing against Yohane’s chest, her grip on Yohane’s clothes loosening as she starts to cry.

Yohane looks down at her with an inscrutable, melancholic expression. A cab arrives. Yohane eases herself and Riko into the cab, and they set off back to their apartment. When they arrive, Riko locks herself into her bedroom. Yohane doesn’t disturb her, sitting down on the couch and heaving a heavy sigh.

She pulls out her phone, and stares at it for a long while. Eventually she dials in Mari’s number.

_“Hello? Yohane?”_

Yohane takes a deep breath. There’s only one way Yohane can think of to fix this.

“Mari?”

_“Hmm?”_

“Would you happen to have Chika’s number?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh boy


	3. Fragile Love

Yohane looks down at the address given to her, then up at the doorplate.

“…Should be here.”

She hesitates as she reaches for the doorbell, recalling the conversation she had last night. Chika didn’t seem too bothered when Yohane asked if they could speak face to face, and readily gave Yohane her address after Yohane explained that she was the one rooming with Riko at the moment.

Still… it feels strangely awkward to be speaking to Riko’s ex. It feels like she’s doing something she shouldn’t, or looking into business that isn’t hers.

Shaking her head, she steels her nerves and presses down on the doorbell. There’s a long pause as she waits for a response, staring at the worn-down off-white door of the apartment flat. Another few seconds pass, and finally the sound of stumbling comes from inside the apartment, someone bumping into a wall and tripping over something or another, and then with a _thud_ , colliding with the door.

Yohane winces - it sounds painful.

The door opens slightly, and curious red eyes peek through the gap, looking over Yohane for a moment.

“Erm… Hi. I called yesterday?”

The door shuts. Then opens again, this time opening fully. The girl at the door has shoulder length orange hair, a short braid down one side, and a wide sunny smile. She’s very pretty, in that girl-next-door kind of way. Not the type of beauty that immediately jumps out at you, but the kind that’s there if you look carefully enough. She’s wearing an orange t-shirt, with the katakana symbol for ‘Chi’ emblazoned on top. Yohane wonders if it’s a trend to put your name on your clothes - Yo had her name on her snapback, too. Her forehead seems kind of red.

“Hi! You’re Yohane, right? Ah, just as I thought, you’re really pretty~” Chika laughs, and Yohane finds herself smiling as well. She turns around, heading back into the apartment flat. “Please, come in! Just leave your shoes wherever, we don’t really care. Sorry about the mess - Yo’s still riding out her hangover.”

Yohane nods, and steps into the apartment. “Sorry for bothering you this early in the morning…”

“Eh, it’s fine - wasn’t doing anything important anyway.” Chika shrugs, stepping into what’s probably their kitchen for a moment. “Do you want anything? Tea? Water?”

“Tea would be nice,” Yohane says, taking a look around the apartment. As Chika said, it’s pretty messy. There are lots of things strewn about - clothes, empty bottles, bits of paper. Beer cans. Lots of beer cans. The place reeks of alcohol.

Yohane sits down at the dining table, not sure if she should be doing anything. Chika comes back soon enough, with a tray of tea and biscuits. “Tea, and I didn’t know if you wanted anything to eat so I just grabbed some biscuits.”

“Thanks,” Yohane accepts the tea graciously, taking a small sip. “And the biscuits are fine, too.”

“Oh good.” Chika plops down onto a chair opposite of Yohane, draining half a cup of tea with a single gulp. Smacking her lips, she smiles at Yohane for a moment before saying, “So… you wanted to talk?”

“About Riko.” Yohane nods.

“Right. About Riko,” Chika sucks air in through her teeth. “Right… Well, there’s a lot to talk about. What do you want to talk about first?”

Yohane hesitates for a moment. “…From the beginning, I guess. How did you meet? I caught a little bit from Riko, but… I’m not sure how much of that is accurate.”

“Hm…” Chika scratches the back of her head. “There’s not much to say, really. We were all dumb college kids. During one of the meet-ups I saw this girl sitting by herself, all lonely like, and thought - ‘Gee, a pretty girl like her aught to be more popular’ - so I went and chatted her up, and turns out she’s pretty cool after all. We kept in touch, and after a while we just… got close.”

Yohane nods. It’s pretty much what Riko described in her account of the events. Mulling a few thoughts over, she eventually asks, “Were you two… serious, about it?”

Chika glances at Yohane for a moment, then looks away, at nothing in particular. She seems to be giving the question serious thought.

“I mean… I can’t speak for Riko, but for a while? Yeah. I thought I’d found the one - like, _the one_. Thinking back now I realize I was being a little rash, but back then I thought I really could spend my whole life with this girl.”

Chika hesitates for a moment before adding, “If I had to guess… I mean, Riko’s a serious girl. She always takes things in full. She probably thought the same as I did back then. Maybe… maybe she still does.”

Yohane thinks back to last night, how Riko talked about Chika. How she idolized her.

“She does, I think.” Yohane says, quietly. Chika looks up for a moment, an expression of guilt on her face, before she sighs and looks down again. “She really liked you.”

“…I know.”

“You hurt her, you know?”

“…Yeah.” Chika admits, her eyes downcast.

“If you knew it would hurt her…” Riko’s expression after their kiss flashes through Yohane’s mind. She could see it in her eyes: the hurt, the pain, the fear of losing someone important to her, _again_. Without realizing it, Yohane clenches her fist under the table. “Why did you break up with her?”

Chika closes her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. “Would you believe me if I told you it was for her own good?”

Yohane stares at her questioningly.

Chika licks her lips for a moment before continuing. “Have… have you seen Riko playing the piano?”

Yohane shakes her head. Chika thinks for a moment before pulling her phone out. “I haven’t got headphones, but… here. Take a listen.”

Chika plays a video clip. There’s a lot of background noise, but the environment looks familiar - it’s the Guilty Kiss bar, on the performer’s stage. Riko’s sitting in front of a grand piano, dressed in a simple black dress. With a spotlight on her, her skin seems to glow - maybe it’s the camera. Or maybe she’s just that radiant.

She puts her hand on the piano, and the whole bar quiets down. Like everyone’s holding their breath suddenly. And then-

She starts to play. Yohane feels her heart leap into her throat. The sound quality is terrible through the phone’s inbuilt speakers, but somehow…

“Wow…” Yohane murmurs, at a loss for words.

“Right?” Chika smiles softly, looking at the screen.

Riko moves like an angel, her fingers barely touching the keys, her eyes closed with concentration.

And she’s smiling. Smiling as she makes music so beautiful that words can’t even begin to describe its cadence.

“That’s… Riko?”

She’s happy. And gorgeous. She looks like she’s completely at home in the limelight, performing in front of a crowd. A far cry from the careful, timid girl that Yohane knows.

“That’s Riko.” Chika says, grinning. Yohane looks up. “She’s the best, isn’t she?”

Yohane glances at the clip again, and nods.

“She’s the pride of us all. Did you know she was on the way to winning a national competition? Yo and I cried when the letter came that she made it into the finals.” Chika smiles wistfully. “We were so proud…”

She looks down, though still smiling. “Which is why I had to let her go.”

“You had to let her go…” Yohane frowns. “I don’t follow.”

Chika chuckles, and gestures around them at the apartment. The mess. The clutter. The lingering smell of alcohol. “I realized it when I attended an event as Riko’s official partner. Everything was lights and glitter and formalities. Riko navigated it like it was second nature. I had no idea what to do. That’s when it struck me - Riko’s outgrown our shitty little apartment. She’s halfway to being a professional pianist, and I’m still dragging my ass around with minimal income.”

“If we kept on dating…” Chika smiles self-depreciatingly. “I’d be slowing Riko down.”

Yohane breathes out, nodding slowly. Everything’s starting to make sense, now. Why Riko stopped playing the piano. Why she’s the way she is now. But also why Chika decided to break up with Riko.

“Okay.” Yohane nods. “I understand. I still feel sorry for Riko, but… you have your circumstances too. And I suppose it _is_ for Riko’s benefit…”

She sighs. “Still… did you consider Riko’s feelings when you did this? How it would make her feel?”

When Chika doesn’t respond for a few seconds, Yohane looks up, only to find Chika staring at her with scrutiny. “…Yohane.”

“W-What?”

“You’ve asked me a lot of questions, so it’s only fair I get to ask a few of my own, yeah?”

Chika’s expression is so intense that Yohane finds herself nodding along without thinking.

“Who is Riko, to you?” Chika asks, leaning forward. “What does she mean to you?”

“Huh?”

Yohane blinks, unable to reply for a moment. “She’s… she’s…”

_Who is Riko to you?_

“You’re asking all these things, talking about Riko’s feelings, and yet you act so distant. Like you’re not connected to this.” Chika says, narrowing her eyes. “Why are you doing this?”

“Does… Does it matter? I’m trying to help Riko…”

“ _Of course it does!_ ”

Yohane flinches, caught off guard. She’s a fallen angel, damn it! Why is she getting intimidated by a mere mortal?

“I love her!” Chika declares, slapping the table angrily. “We dated for five years! If you’re helping her out of some twisted self-satisfaction, or- or _pity,_ then—!”

_Who is Riko to you?_

Chika stops when she notices Yohane’s expression.

Yohane’s glaring back, matching Chika’s indignation with her own intensity.

“It’s not self-satisfaction. Or pity.” Yohane says, slowly.

_Why did you let the mortal go?_

It’s the same question, all over again. But this time, Yohane has an answer.

Yohane thought it was going to complicated, but to hear Chika so easily put it into words…!

“I just don’t want to see Riko cry anymore.” Yohane smiles toothily. “Because I love her.”

Chika stares at her for a long moment.

Then she breaks out into a grin, too. “That’s good! A good answer! I’ll acknowledge your marriage with my daughter, please treat her kindly!!”

“It’s not like that yet!” Yohane blushes, smacking the table.

Chika laughs, leaning back in her chair and staring up at the ceiling.

“Ah~ You know, for a while I was actually really worried. I seriously doubted my decision to break up with her… but now that I know you’re there for her, it’s like a weight’s been lifted off my chest…”

She continues to stare at the ceiling for a moment before looking back down to Yohane. “I know it’s selfish of me to ask you to pick up my slack, but… could you help Riko move on? She has so much to look forward to ahead of her…”

“You don’t need to ask me.”

Yohane smiles confidently. “I was already going to do that.”

She stands up, dusting herself off.

“I’ll be heading off, now. Thanks for speaking with me, Chika.”

Chika grins, waving her off as she exits the apartment, leaving Chika alone in the apartment.

“…Was that Yohane I heard?”

Okay, not _quite_ alone. Chika turns and smiles at Yo, who’s tottering out of their bedroom. While Yo grabs a glass of water from the kitchen to drink, Chika smirks, and turns back to look at the door where Yohane left.

“Riko’s found herself a good one.” She sighs, nibbling on a biscuit. “Someone who can make her happy.”

“And you? Are you gonna be okay?”

Chika closes her eyes, trying to hold back the numerous emotions bubbling up inside her.

“If Riko’s happy… I’m gonna be fine.”

Yo sighs, coming over and patting Chika on the head. “Atta girl.”

*****

Stepping out of the flat, Yohane sighs, staring out into the bustling city. Each floor of the apartment building consists of a long open-air hallway, lined with doors leading into each flat on one side, and a railing overlooking the city streets on the other.

_Because I love her._

Her cheeks go bright red.

“Gghh… I must be going soft, making an admission like that…! I’m a fallen angel, damn it! A primordial evil…!” She covers her face with her hands, sinking to her knees. “That’s so embarrassing…!”

Even though she’s uttered similar words countless times as meaningless platitudes… Even though she’s never considered the implications of truly, fully loving someone… Even if she was a hell-spawned creature whose sole purpose is to exploit such an emotion…!

“I’ve really fallen for her, huh…?”

She sighs, running a hand through her hair. “I’ve really done it now… the forces of Hell will never accept me now. I’ve become a nomad between worlds… hah…”

 _Don’t get attached._ One of the cardinal rules for infiltrators like herself. For those whose job is to harvest human souls, through sexual acts or otherwise, getting attached to their mark means certain failure. Yohane has lost her place amongst the ranks of the devils.

“Well… Staying here isn’t so bad, either…” She stands up, stretching out her arms and back. “I guess I should head back… Need to make sure Riko’s okay…”

When she left in the morning, Riko was still locked in her room. Yohane left food and a note saying she’d be out, but… still, anything can happen. Especially with her newfound determination, Yohane’s anxious to get back to Riko.

“I should just teleport…” She breathes out, focusing on her magic for a moment. Shadows start to coalesce behind her as her wings slowly take shape. “…Hell gate summon…?!”

She stops suddenly, dispelling all of her magic and snapping her eyes open.

An ominous presence…?! No - A _divine_ presence. An angel? Again? Yohane runs up to the railing, staring out into the city. She doesn’t spot anything out of the ordinary, but she can still feel the distinctive stench of holiness, emanating from somewhere…

It’s best she doesn’t use her magic, after all.

Ignoring the bad feeling in her gut, Yohane heads towards the lift, going down to the street and catching a bus back to the apartment instead. Having studied the city transportation beforehand, it doesn’t take long for Yohane to find the correct bus that heads towards their apartment building.

Getting on the bus, the uneasy feeling only intensifies as Yohane’s senses continue to warn her for a divine presence nearby - despite the bus being in motion. She looks around nervously, trying to spot the source of the divine energy.

She’s so preoccupied with scanning her surroundings that she doesn’t even realize the woman sitting next to her is speaking until a few seconds later:

“Are you searching for me, perhaps?”

Yohane’s eyes widen, and she whips her head around to look at the person next to her.

She’s tall, with long, neatly cut black hair and crystal blue eyes. She’s wearing considerably high class branded clothes, and she has the distinct air of aristocracy about her.

“You…!” Yohane didn’t even notice her approach… has she slipped that much? No - she narrows her eyes. The angel is deliberately concealing herself, just as she concealed herself from Ruby.

“I’d heard from Mari that there’s a new employee in the bar, who claims to be Riko’s guardian angel. I went to take a look, but all I could sense was the stench of demonic magic. I wonder why that could be, now?”

The woman is smiling, but it’s a cold, rigid smile, like it’s carved from glacial ice. “You may have fooled my sister, but I’m not so easily deceived, demon.”

“Sister… you mean Kurosawa Ruby?”

Now that she mentions it, Yohane can definitely sense the angelic aura emanating from her. But how did she not notice before…? Was she hiding her aura?

“Yes. Ruby is my dear sister - I am Kurosawa Dia. I’ve heard of you, Yohane. The traitor.”

Yohane shivers. Someone who’s heard of her misdeeds…!

“Fallen from Hell. An agent of chaos. Truly, the most despicable of creatures.” Dia glances at Yohane, her tone cold enough to freeze hellfire. “So what does such a creature want with Riko?”

“Believe it or not, my intentions are innocent. Riko is hurting. I’m trying to help.” Yohane says, with as evenly a voice as possible.

“I’m aware of Riko’s condition. But don’t think for a second that you’re fooling me with your innocent act.” Dia murmurs, grabbing onto Yohane’s wrist with a vicelike grip. “So tell me. What are your intentions?”

“Let go of me.” Yohane says, coldly.

Dia narrows her eyes. “I refuse.”

Yohane turns to stare at Dia with smouldering red eyes. “I’m not lying!”

Dia’s lips curl into a sneer. “So be it.”

A shockwave rocks the bus, blowing out the windows and causing all the passengers to be thrown back. All that’s left of Dia and Yohane are twin scorch marks on the bus seats. As the passengers stagger to their feet in confusion, wondering what’s going on, two shapes reappear thousands of feet overhead.

One, a robed, angelic figure, with four pristine glowing wings extending from her back, hands posed in a position of prayer, her blue eyes glowing with holy energy while a brilliant halo hangs above her. The other, seemingly an exact mirror of her, a creature wreathed in black fire, leathery wings trailing behind her, red-tipped horns extending from her forehead, a pitch black halo suspended crookedly above her head. Her red eyes smoulder with dark energies, and her fanged mouth is twisted into a cruel grin.

“You finally reveal yourself to be the dark creature that you are, Yohane?!” Dia growls, fixing Yohane with a stare that would kill a lesser creature. Yohane, however, stands firm, completely ignoring the look of disdain.

“I’m simply answering your call to violence, Kurosawa. I don’t want to fight.” She says quietly, even as she lengthens her nails into wicked talons. “Use your powers to detect lies. You’ll see that I speak the truth.”

Dia narrows her eyes, tensing up. “I’m not going to fall for your tricks, demon.”

Yohane shakes her head sadly. “Then I have no choice.”

In the blink of an eye, Yohane is upon her, rearing back and slamming down with both fists, as hard as she can, down onto Dia’s skull. The angel brings her arms up just in time to intercept, the attack sending her spiralling towards the ground but still remaining unharmed.

“Physical attacks are useless, huh…” Yohane licks her lips. “It’s been a while since I’ve had to fight properly.”

“Stop talking, demon.”

Dia spreads her wings out, halting her descent; then, with a single flap of her wings, she produces a burst of wind that sends her hurtling up towards Yohane. Surrounding herself with divine light, she tries to tackle Yohane out of the skies, only for the demon to swerve out of the way, and swat Dia away with a massive claw of burning blackness.

The black fire eats away at Dia’s light, and she cries out in pain as she feels the demonic presence start to invade her sphere of influence. “Foul demon…!” She growls, righting herself in the air and turning back towards Yohane. “I’ll smite you where you stand…!”

Raising her hands, her light takes the form of glowing spears, innumerable in count, all positioned towards Yohane.

“Face judgement!” She moves her arm as though throwing an object, and responding to the gesture, the numberless glowing spears hurtle through the air, closing in on Yohane, blotting out the sky until there’s only divine light—

“Is that all?”

Yohane’s eyes glow red, and with the flick of a wrist, black fire extends from her in all directions, latching onto the spears of light and setting them ablaze. Within moments the light is extinguished, leaving Yohane unharmed within a mantle of darkness.

“This flickering light stands no chance against my breadth of darkness.” She says, coldly. “You are just a guardian angel. If you know my name, surely you know my place in Heaven before I fell.”

She holds out an arm, the limb becoming enwreathed in darkness. “I was one of the Principalities. An angelic ruler, exiled for rivalling the Great Creator in beauty.”

She moves forward suddenly, appearing in front of Dia as though she’s always been there.

“Fall to Hell, angel.” She snarls, grabbing Dia by the throat and hurling her down towards the street. The darkness burns itself into the angel’s skin and Dia howls in a combination of anger and agony, silenced only when she smashes into the concrete floor of a desolated back alley.

Yohane descends quickly after her, landing just as the dust settles. She retracts her wings and horns, leaving only the blackened halo and her mantle of black fire as she approaches Dia’s crash site. “If you’re quite done, stay where you are and don’t move. I just want to go home.”

“Even if it’s you…! Even if I must lay down my life…! I _will_ protect my friends!”

“Shit…!” Yohane’s eyes widen, and she begins to jump back, but out of the dust, Dia leaps forward, concentrating her entire life-force into her fist, which connects squarely with Yohane’s jaw. There’s an explosion of blinding light, and for a moment, everything in the world stands still…

When the light fades, Yohane has Dia against the ground, her arms pinned to her back. The fallen angel spits a bit of blood to the side, the side of her face badly bruised.

“If you sacrifice yourself here, Ruby’s going to be sad.” Yohane mutters, releasing Dia from the hold and standing up. Dia immediately leaps to her feet, taking up a guarded stance. “Use a truth spell. Tell me I’m lying when I say I mean no harm.”

Dia glares at Yohane, but finally obliges, her eyes lighting up as she compels Yohane to speak the truth. “What… what are your intentions with Riko, demon? Speak!”

Yohane closes her eyes, feeling the tug of Dia’s magic on her mind. “For now, I want to help her move on from breaking up with Chika, and encourage her to play the piano again.”

Dia narrows her eyes, relinquishing her magic. “You… you’re not lying.”

“As I said,” Yohane says calmly. “I just want to help.”

Dia grits her teeth, but disengages from her guarded stance, straightening up. “I don’t know what you’re planning, demon, but if you do anything to harm her, I swear to the Creator, I will chase you to the ends of the Earth.”

Yohane chuckles, carefully touching her bruised cheek. “If I harm Riko, I’ll _let_ you hunt me down.”

“…Hmph.” Dia turns her head, and disappears into a pillar of light.

Yohane watches her depart, then lets out a huge sigh of relief.

“Sweet Satan, that was intense. To think there’d be not one, but _two_ angels in my neighbourhood… my luck really is the worst.” She sighs, gingerly patting her injured face. “And I’ve really slipped, huh. Allowing myself to get this hurt in a fight with a low-level angel.”

She straightens up, allowing her halo and fire to dissipate as well. “…I really should head back, now.”

She, too, steps away from the alleyway, and within moments is consumed in a whirl of black flames.

*****

_I’m not Chika, Riko._

_Do I kiss like her, Riko?_

“I know that…! Of course I know that…!”

Riko has her face in her hands, sitting on the floor with her back against the door of her room.

Her eyes are red and puffy, and her throat feels parched. She’s not been able to sleep properly for the whole night, and her hair’s a mess. All she’s been able to do is replay last night’s mess of a conversation over and over again in her head. Review every terrible word that’s issued from her mouth, every selfish emotion that’s come from her heart, and feel soul-crushing regret for it.

“Yohane… I’m so sorry…!”

How must she feel right now? Riko’s delegated her to be little more than a replacement. An emotional substitute, to fill in the gap that her own inadequacy created.

“I… I… I just wanted someone to…!”

***Ding dong***

Riko looks up sharply. The doorbell just rang.

She briefly considers ignoring it, but the possibility of it being important outweighs her current emotional distress. Unlocking her room door, she shuffles out to the living room, pausing before the door to wait and see if there’s any further prompting.

The door bell rings again, and a muffled voice comes through.

“Uh, Riko? You there? I left the spare key inside, so, um…”

Riko tenses up. It’s Yohane. Yohane’s outside the door. Right now. Yohane, who she kissed so callously. Yohane, who had so patiently listened to Riko’s story. Yohane, who had showed so much compassion which Riko handily betrayed…!

With shaking hands, before she can stop herself, she opens the door.

“Ah—” And again, before she can stop herself, “You’re hurt.”

“Oh, erm…” Yohane rubs her cheek carefully. “I tripped.”

“Please be careful…”

“Yeah. I will.”

There’s a lingering silence as they stare at each other. Riko swallows, her eyes unable to meet Yohane’s. Are her legs shaking? Ah, shit, her legs are shaking - her shoulders, too - the floodgates are threatening to burst and she can’t hold back her emotions for any longer…!

“I’m…”

She’s definitely shaking, and her breath is hitching so she can’t even speak properly. Tears that she thought she’d cried dry already start gathering at the corners of her eyes again. Yohane blinks, stepping forward.

“Riko…?”

Riko flinches, and after taking a few stumbling steps back, she turns around and runs back into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Yohane sighs, padding up to the door and placing her hand flat against the wood. With her magic, she can sense Riko leaning with her back to the door.

“Riko.”

“I’m sorry…”

Yohane bites her lip.

“I fucked up…”

Of course Riko’s beating herself up over it. She’s that kind of girl, after all. The type to suffocate herself in her own perceived failures.

Yohane sighs again, and shakes her head, even if she knows Riko can’t see her.

“You didn’t fuck up, Riko.”

“I fucked up. I forced a kiss on you, and- and said all those things, and projected Chika onto you and hurt you because I’m a shitty girlfriend who got dumped…”

There’s a thump. Riko must’ve hit the door. “…I’m the worst.”

Yohane closes her eyes for a moment. Riko’s voice is coming from below - she must’ve sat down. Yohane crouches down, considering her words. “There are a lot of things to correct in that sentence.”

“First - You didn’t hurt me. I’m not offended. I actually… well, sorry for not telling you, but I actually spoke to Chika this morning.”

Riko makes this weird noise, like a squeak or something, when Yohane mentions Chika’s name.

“I think she’s great. I think she’s a great person. So being compared to her - that doesn’t hurt at all.”

Yohane raises a hand to her mouth, touching her lips for a moment. “Second… you didn’t force a kiss onto me. I let it happen. It was nice.”

Riko makes another weird noise, like she’s being strangled.

“I cut it off because you were going to get hurt. But… yeah. It was nice.”

“I…” Riko starts, slowly. “I was going to get… hurt?”

“That’s my third point.”

Yohane breathes out, steeling her nerves. A thousand years of experience, and she still doesn’t understand human emotions. But she knows this much - she has to get through to Riko, before things get any worse.

“You’re not the worst. I’ve _seen_ the worst. You’re a good person, Riko. You let me crash with you, even though you barely knew me. You try your best to be considerate. You’re not the worst — You’re just… lonely. Right? If I’d exploited your loneliness then… it would just be more pain for you.”

There’s a long silence as Yohane’s words sink in. She swallows nervously, waiting for a response.

The door creaks open.

“…Yohane…”

Yohane smiles at Riko, peeking out from the gap between the door and the doorframe.

“Call me Yocchan.”

“…Yocchan…!”

Riko’s voice is hoarse, and wavering. She pushes the door wide, standing in front of Yohane.

“Can…” She breathes in. “Can I hug you?”

Yohane stares at Riko for a moment.

Then she grins, spreading her arms out. “Bring it in, silly.”

Riko practically throws herself against Yohane, immediately starting to bawl her eyes out. Yohane hesitates for a moment, before smiling and returning the hug, patting Riko on the back.

“You’ve had it rough, huh?” Yohane says, gently stroking Riko’s head.

“Chika was… my first girlfriend… she was…!” Riko hiccups, unable to form even full sentences, only capable of grabbing onto Yohane and holding her close. “So when we broke up I… hurt… so much…! I just… wanted somebody to… somebody to…!”

“You just wanted somebody to love you,” Yohane murmurs. “Like Chika did.”

Riko buries her face into Yohane’s shoulder, sobbing. “When you… showed up… you were so kind and I… the image of you and Chika just… overlapped… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m just a selfish person… I can’t…”

“There’s no need to apologize.” Yohane says, stroking Riko’s back soothingly.

She sighs, staring at the ceiling. “I’m a selfish person too, you know. When I first approached you… I was going in with the intention to fool around, have some fun, then leave. I was going to use you.”

Riko quiets down a little, trying to hold back sniffles as she listens to Yohane.

“But then I started to feel this feeling… something I’ve never felt before, never once, not with any of the girls I’ve been with before. I wanted to find out what that feeling was, so selfishly, I kept leading you on, hoping I would come to a conclusion…”

Yohane’s grip on Riko tightens slightly.

“Did…” Riko sniffs. “Did you come to a conclusion?”

Yohane puts a hand on her heart, clenching it into a fist. She can feel her own heartbeat, and from the proximity, Riko’s as well. Both hearts are hammering, the warmth spreading through her body and making it hard to focus.

“I did. I realized the reason why I reached out, the reason why I kept coming back and helping you…”

Yohane had a million plans in the works. Countless ways to make Riko come out of her shell, borne of hundreds of years of experience. But the moment Yohane saw Riko crying, all those plans evaporated into nothing. Everything came tumbling out.

“I… like you. Or, rather - I love you, so I don’t want to see you hurt. I don’t want to see you cry, either.”

There it is. Yohane’s blown it. The last thing Riko needs now is the pressure from a statement like that, but she can’t stop now. Foreign emotions, long thought to be locked away in Yohane’s heart, are now swelling up, threatening to boil over. The desire to care, the desire to protect, the desire to love and cherish forever and ever— Yohane feels as though she’s going to burst if she doesn’t keep going.

“I’m not Chika. I’m never going to be Chika. I’m just… me, Yohane. But… I’d still like to make you happy. In whatever way I can.”

Yohane closes her eyes, holding Riko close.

“So… please stop crying? Please?”

There’s a pause. A long one. Yohane breathes in, bracing for the worst.

Then-

Riko giggles. Her voice is still thick and nasally, but she’s smiling as she pulls away from Yohane, though she keeps her hands on Yohane’s shoulders.

“When you ask like that— it’s hard for a girl to keep crying.” She sniffs, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

Yohane sighs - at least Riko’s emotions are under control now. “Oh, good… I thought I might start crying too, if you kept going…”

Riko laughs, shaking her head. “I think one of us crying is more than enough.”

“Amen to that,” Yohane smiles, though it quickly falters as she thinks of something. She clears her throat nervously. “So- about the, erm, the _other_ things I talked about… the bit before…”

Riko blushes, looking down. “Right…”

“Don’t feel pressured into doing anything you don’t want to!” Yohane says hastily. “As I said, I just want you to be happy, so— _mm!_ ”

Riko cuts her off mid-sentence by pressing her lips against Yohane’s. Just a chaste kiss, barely more than a peck on the lips. She lingers there for a second or two, wondering if Yohane uses strawberry lip balm or if she just tastes that way, before pulling away, blushing fiercely.

Yohane feels like her cold, black heart is going to explode.

“There’s… a lot I have to sort out. My feelings for Chika… I’m still trying to get over that. But now I’m sure that this—” She gestures between herself and Yohane. “This has nothing to do with it. You marginally resemble Chika. It’s why I was drawn to you to begin with, but… but now I want to be with Yohane. Not Chika.”

Riko sniffs, smiling weakly now. “Ah… this is so strange… I’ve only known you for a few days, but all I can think about is you. This is some black magic, I swear.”

“Haha, well… emotions are weird…” Yohane doesn’t want to think about how close to the truth Riko is.

She breathes in, and reaches out, gently holding Riko’s hands in her own. “I respect that you still have lingering feelings for Chika. I get that first loves die hard. So I’m not going to try and replace Chika or anything. We can just… take it slow. See where this goes. Is that okay?”

“Yeah. That sounds good.” Riko laughs faintly. “Nice and slow.”

They lean in, but instead of kissing they just rest their foreheads against each other, their breathing heavy but no longer pained.

They stay like that for a while. It’s nice, and warm, and even if Riko’s legs start to get cramped she doesn’t want to pull away.

For now… this is just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow genre shift much, super DBZ action!!
> 
> If I'm going to be honest, I'm starting to lose steam for writing for this story. The long chapters are exhausting, and it's hard to keep the quality from fluctuating as I only write about a thousand words per day. I'm really hoping it doesn't come off as sloppy or poorly written.
> 
> Anyway, a shorter chapter this time. The last one will probably be similar length.


	4. You are Fragile (pt 1)

Friday rolls around quickly, and Yohane’s back at her part-time not-quite-job at the _Guilty Kiss_.

She’s cleaning a glass absentmindedly when Mari suddenly leans over, smirking knowingly at her. “You know… you’re awfully cheerful today.”

Yohane blinks, glancing at Mari. “Am I?”

“You are! You were so distant and cold before, but now I can see the _shine_ in your eyes!” Mari grins. “Did something happen?”

Yohane hesitates, before smiling. “I guess you could say that.”

Mari smiles and nods knowingly, like she knows exactly what’s going on, and for a moment Yohane wonders if she’s an angel with powers too, and she’s just _really_ good at hiding it.

“Well, are you going to tell?”

Yohane thinks about it for a moment, before shaking her head.

“You’ll see,” she says mysteriously, grinning. Mari tilts her head, but shrugs, and goes back to her work.

The crowds start to trickle in as the night goes on, and soon Mari, Yohane and Hanamaru have their hands full taking orders and dealing out drinks. Yohane keeps an eye on the clock as she works, watching as the minute hand steadily ticks along towards the 30 mark.

“Welcome- Oh! Dia, Kanan! And Ruby! Welcome!”

Yohane looks up when Mari speaks, turning towards the door. Sure enough, the two angels, alongside a tall beautiful woman with dark blue hair, walk into a bar, waving at Mari. Dia and the other woman, Kanan, head over to Mari, each giving her a kiss on the cheek. There’s a bit of a sparkle in Dia’s eyes when she looks at Mari, and Yohane realizes Mari is probably Dia’s host.

But then Dia looks over in Yohane’s direction, with palpable murderous intent. Ruby looks less aggressive, but notably more apprehensive than the last time they’ve talked. Dia’s probably warned Ruby about Yohane. Yohane thinks it’s best if she stays away from her for the night.

“Yohane, sweetie, can you go and take Dia and Kanan’s order?”

Oops. Yohane cringes slightly, and nervously heads towards their table. Dia immediately trains her glare on Yohane. Yohane matches her gaze evenly - there’s no point in inciting any conflict here - and politely asks, “Would you like anything to drink?”

“I’m fine,” Dia says shortly, still fixing Yohane with that scathing glare.

“Do you have any lager? I’m in a lager sort of mood tonight.” Kanan asks, to which Yohane promises to check.

“Um…” Ruby mumbles timidly, not looking Yohane in the eyes. “Do… do you have anything non-alcoholic?”

“Sure. We have non-alcoholic punch, if you want that.”

“I’ll… I’ll have that, then.”

Dia looks like she’s suffered a grave betrayal. Yohane smiles, and nods, noting it down before retreating from the table.

_“I don’t trust you.”_

Yohane stops when Dia speaks up. Or rather, projects her thoughts into Yohane’s mind, as most elevated beings can. She must not want Kanan to hear this. Her plan to not incite conflict goes down the drain.

_“You’re plotting something. I know you are.”_

Yohane smirks, and gives her a sidelong glance. _“Maybe I am.”_

Dia narrows her eyes. _“So you admit it.”_

 _“It’s nothing malicious,”_ Yohane sighs, as she heads to the bar to prepare their orders. _“You’ll see.”_

_“It had better be. I’ve got my eye on you.”_

Yohane shrugs, pouring Kanan a lager, and mixing Ruby a mixed punch. _“You keep doing that.”_

She glances over at the clock again, and smirks. _“In fact, you might be in for a treat very soon…”_

Dia visibly tenses up, even from across the room, clearly expecting something from Yohane. But Yohane simply looks across to the entrance of the _Guilty Kiss_ , and her smirk widens into a grin as she sees the person who comes in through the doors.

Riko takes a deep breath as she steps down onto the bar floor, crossing the room with a laser focus. Almost no one is paying attention to her - she’s humbly dressed in a simple wine-red dress that Yohane picked out for her, and she’s not exactly projecting herself out to the public.

She stops in front of the stage, staring up at the grand piano on the stage.

Her confidence seems to waver for a moment, before she shakes her head firmly, and steps up onto the stage. Her heels make a knocking noise as she goes up the steps, and finally Mari notices that she’s there.

“Yohane- It’s Riko!” She tugs at Yohane’s sleeve excitedly. “She’s… is she going to perform?!”

Yohane grins, her mind going back to the conversation Riko and her had a couple of days ago, a bit after Yohane’s confession.

* * * * *

_“You talked to Chika, right, Yohane?”_

_Riko was leaning against Yohane, the two of them sitting on the couch. She was physically and emotionally exhausted, but she just had to know._

_Yohane shifted slightly, her hand running absentmindedly though Riko’s long locks. “Yeah.”_

_“…Did she mention why she decided to….” Riko bit her lip._

_“Break up?” Yohane suggested gently. Riko nodded. She didn’t want to say it. She didn’t want to go back to the sulking and restless nights of self-destructive contemplation._

_“…I want to know.” Riko murmured. “I think I need to know to move on.”_

_Yohane nodded slowly. “I get it.” She hesitated. “Can I get you to promise me one thing?”_

_“What is it?” Riko tilted her head._

_“Don’t get mad at Chika.” Yohane said seriously._

_She waited as Riko processed the request, and when Riko eventually nodded, Yohane began slowly, explaining what Chika had told her. How she felt like she was dragging Riko down. How she wasn’t ready for the kind of life that Riko was going to live. How she decided to let go, because it’s the only way Riko could live up to her full potential._

_At the end of her explanation, she added quietly, “She really did like you. She just wasn’t ready for that sort of commitment.”_

_Riko breathed out explosively, having held her breath subconsciously. She laughed weakly, running a hand through her hair. “That idiot… If we’d just talked, we might have figured something out…”_

_“Chika had the best of intentions in mind,” Yohane said._

_“I know. This is just like her, going ahead and pulling something like that without telling anyone…” Riko buried her face in her hands, shaking her head incredulously. “I’m so angry right now, you have no idea.”_

_Yohane shrugged. “Well, you asked.”_

_“The next time I see that mikan idiot I’m going to deck her.” Riko decided._

_Yohane made a mental note to warn Chika of that happening._

_Riko didn’t say anything else, seemingly content to seethe in silence. Yohane didn’t interrupt her, just continuing to run her hand through Riko’s hair - she didn’t object to it, so Yohane assumed she liked it._

_A long while later, Riko turned around, staring at Yohane with those glittering gold eyes. “I’m going to take up piano again.”_

_“…For Chika?”_

_Riko shook her head, and Yohane could see the determination in her eyes._

_“For myself.”_

* * * * *

Yohane watches nervously from behind the bar as Riko stops in front of the piano. She breathes in, her chest rising, then slowly falling as she breathes out. Riko’s obviously nervous too, trying her best not to fidget as she pulls out the piano chair and sits down. She smooths out her dress, pushing out the wrinkles and folds. Finally, after delaying for another few seconds, she finally lays her hands on the piano keys.

Then Riko hesitates, her confidence wavering again. She glances at the crowd worriedly, her hands shaking slightly. Yohane finds herself gripping the edge of the bar table with nervous strength, her nails digging into the wood.

But then their eyes meet, their consciousnesses connecting for the briefest of moments.

Yohane mouths silently: _Play_.

And then Riko presses down on the keys.

The music starts off timid at first, quavering notes that are drowned out by the general hum of the bar. A slow, tentative rhythm, lacking in strength and interest. A few patrons glance up curiously, before looking back down again, dismissing her as just another bit performer looking for more exposure.

Riko cringes, her composure slipping for a moment.

 _You can do it._ Yohane bites her lower lip, watching Riko anxiously. She’s been practicing for a few days, Yohane knows she has what it takes. She just needs to bring it out to the forefront…

But soon it becomes clear that worry is unnecessary.

Riko breathes in, and suddenly it’s like she’s a different person. Gone are the doubts and misgivings. The wavering tempo stabilizes, swelling in strength. The melody grows more energetic, more confident, louder and prouder. Riko looks like she’s coming to life as she plays, her nervous hunched posture straightening out, her pale skin seeming to glow under the spotlight. Her golden eyes are wide, and glittering with an energy that Yohane hasn’t seen her display before.

The crowd grows silent as they watch Riko’s performance, their breaths stolen away by her mastery of the piano. Riko closes her eyes, allowing her hands to guide herself as she pours her heart into the music.

The tempo picks up as Riko starts to play in earnest, transitioning from a slow dirge to an enthusiastic paean. The air buzzes with energy, the crowd slowly being infected by Riko’s sudden change in attitude. A few are nodding their heads to the music, others tapping their feet. Yohane dares to breathe, smiling as Riko finally regains the spark that she’s been missing all this time.

She loves the piano, and she loves music. Even if Chika motivated her to play once upon a time, Riko knows that in her heart of hearts that she _always_ belonged with the piano, Chika or not.

Two glasses in hand, Yohane strides back to Dia, Kanan and Ruby’s table, setting down Kanan’s lager and Ruby’s punch. The three don’t even notice at first, entranced by Riko’s music, and it’s only when the bottom of the glasses clink against the tabletop that they look up at Yohane. Kanan nods gratefully, while Ruby gives her a tentative smile. Dia stares hard at Yohane.

 _“Did you convince her to play again?”_ Dia asks, cautiously.

Yohane glances at her for a moment before turning to gaze at Riko. From where the table is, she can only see Riko’s back as she hammers away at the keys, her body swaying slightly in time with the music. There’s an energy about her that’s practically visible, radiating out of her and feeding the mood of the room. Yohane smiles; Riko’s never looked more alive.

 _“I didn’t.”_ Yohane chuckles. _“She decided for herself.”_

Dia furrows her brow, before turning back to watch Riko.

_“…Of course. Riko is strong. I knew she’d recover eventually.”_

Ruby looks between Dia and Yohane - she can sense a mental conversation going on between them. Kanan, however, remains oblivious to this.

A breathtaking flurry of notes issues from the piano, and Yohane looks over to Riko just in time to see her hammer out a mind-bogglingly fast sequence on the keys, her hands a blur as they dance across the piano. There’s beads of sweat on her forehead, and she’s obviously out of breath, but she’s positively radiant under the limelight, lips curved into an unconscious smile. With a flourish, the song reaches its climax, the mood in the room swelling to new highs. It’s clear that at this point everyone is transfixed on her performance, fully immersed in the music.

With a final flourish, Riko concludes her performance, slowing her hands to gracefully tap out the last notes of the song, which lingers in the air for a moment before slowly fading into silence. There’s a long pause as Riko comes to a stop, resting her hands on the piano. She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before standing and turning to face the room. She bows, and the room explodes into rancorous applause, cheers and whistles filling the air, many of the audience rising to their feet to give rising ovations.

“’Tis the time for celebrations! Everyone gets a free shot!” Mari decides, her voice rising above the clapping, which earns a roar of approval from the bar.

As Yohane busies herself with distributing the free shots, she feels a familiar telepathic presence in her mind.

_“…When you’re done, meet me behind the bar.”_

Yohane raises an eyebrow and looks behind her. Dia’s talking to Kanan, but when Yohane looks over Dia gives her a quick, meaningful glance. Yohane tilts her head slightly; what does that angel want with her?

Keeping an eye on Dia, Yohane continues to distribute drinks. Riko continues to play, though her following performances markedly less flashy - just your typical bouncy bar room music. Riko’s re-introduction to the piano is going swimmingly, even better than Riko and Yohane had expected. Yohane’s itching to talk to her, to ask if she’s okay (though she looks okay,) and maybe kiss her a little because Riko’s been never looked better in Yohane’s eyes.

But Riko’s slot lasts for an hour, so Yohane settles for planning to do that later, in the privacy of the apartment flat. Instead she sidles up to Mari and murmurs, “I’m gonna take a quick break. Just a couple of minutes.”

Mari nods, and Yohane quickly excuses herself, making her way to the employee entrance around the back. Stepping into the empty lot behind the bar building, Yohane finds a wall to lean against, lazily crossing her arms and keeping an eye on the alleyway that leads out to the main streets.

It doesn’t take long before two figures step out of the darkened alleyway: Dia and Ruby. Dia looks ready to throw down, though once again Ruby just seems more afraid than anything.

“So, what,” Yohane scoffs. “You’re going to push your sister into a beating as well? Even two guardian angels can’t hold a candle to the amount of power I have.”

“No, I’m well aware. Ruby’s even more sensitive to that sort of thing than I am,” Dia says. She steps forward, giving Yohane a level stare. “Take out your wings.”

Yohane tilts her head. “Why?”

“Just do it,” Dia growls. “We may not be able to hurt you too much but we can still ruin the night for you.”

Yohane rolls her eyes at Dia’s empty threat; she knows Dia won’t risk a commotion. Still, she steps forward, and with a deep breath in her black feathery wings extend out behind her. Dia narrows her eyes at the sight of the wings, before shaking her head in disgust.

“Still as stained black as ever,” Dia says. “You haven’t changed. You’re still a fallen angel.” She breathes out slowly. “I don’t get it. What’s your game? What are you planning? What do you stand to gain from toying with Riko like this?”

“Aside from a hot girlfriend?” Yohane cracks a smile. “You know, Kurosawa, I don’t think I have to take this from you. You’re a rule-breaker yourself, aren’t you? A guardian angel consorting with her charge?”

Dia visibly tenses up. “Leave Mari out of this,” She hisses. “You may have done a single good deed in helping Riko, but Heaven remembers your crimes. _I_ remember your crimes. The scores of angels you took down with you when you fell from grace. You know, they call you the worst traitor Heaven has seen since Lucifer Morningstar himself. You stay away from my friends, demon. Riko will be better off without you.”

“Aw shucks, you flatter me,” Yohane says nonchalantly. “Look, I think you’re misunderstanding something.”

She steps up to Dia, squaring off against the angel. Dia’s a little taller, but Yohane’s not the least bit intimidated. “Just because I’m helping Riko doesn’t mean I’m reformed, or anything. I still hate the man upstairs. I’m still a demon. So don’t you think for a second that you can demand anything from me, least of which tell me to stay away from Riko.”

She jabs a finger at Dia for emphasis. Dia narrows her eyes. “Just what exactly do you think will happen if you continue to stay with her? When she notices that you never age? Or get sick? Or forget to eat and seem none the worse for wear?”

“I’ll…” For the first time that night, Yohane needs a moment to think. “I can figure something out, I’m sure.”

“Are you even going to tell her?” Dia asks, straight to the point. Yohane breathes in sharply at the question. “Do you _ever_ plan to talk to her about your divinity?”

“…Of course I will,” Yohane starts, before Dia interrupts her.

“Well, good, then maybe you can start with explaining to her why we’re in this situation right now.”

Dia points behind Yohane, and she whirls around to find Riko staring at Yohane with wide eyes. Yohane’s heart plummets into her stomach, and she feels a hard lump in her throat, obstructing her speech.

“L-Lily?” Yohane stammers. “What are you doing here?”

“I…” Riko starts, before she shuts her mouth and just shakes her head. She takes a few deep breaths, and slowly continues, “I assume there’s a perfectly rational explanation for all… this.” She gestures at Yohane.

Yohane swallows. On one hand, she’s burning with furious raging anger at Dia’s underhanded trick. On the other, she’s just mortified at what might happen. Fear is not an emotion that an immortal as powerful as Yohane feels often, but she’s sure the sinking sensation in her gut is exactly that.

Yohane’s jaw works noiselessly for a moment, before she finally finds her voice and she says weakly, “I can… explain. I can. Riko, _please_ let me explain.”

Yohane’s so shaken that she doesn’t even remember to retract her wings until a few seconds pass. Riko watches silently as the wings evaporate into black smoke, and shakes her head incredulously. “…Okay. Wings. Are you some kind of… angel?”

“Er, fallen angel, specifically.”

“Great. Fallen angel. Forgive me for not being up to scratch on Abrahamic religion,” Riko breathes out shakily. She turns to Dia. “Is this why you called me out here, Dia?”

The angel nods. “You deserve to know. I didn’t think she would have told you if left alone.”

“I’m guessing you’re… related to this, then. Are you like, secret demon hunters or something?” Riko hesitates. “Actually, don’t answer that, I’m not sure my heart can handle any more. I’m going home.”

“Riko…”

“We’re going home, Yohane.” Riko says sharply. Yohane flinches, and nods meekly. Seeing Yohane’s reaction, Riko’s gaze softens and she shakes her head. “I’m… tired. Mari fed me a drink just now and it’s not sitting well. Take me home? Please?”

Yohane nods quickly, relieved that Riko at least isn’t raging at her already.

Turning to Dia, Riko bows her head politely. “Thanks for bringing this to my attention,” she says, her voice quiet and controlled.

Dia nods her head slightly. “I thought that you should know.”

“Does anyone else?” Riko asks.

“Mari suspects something. She does know about me and Ruby, though,” Dia says. “As does Kanan.”

“I see,” Riko breathes out. “I… would have been upset if I was the only one out of the loop.”

Dia shakes her head. “No… I only told Mari because, well, it’s Mari. This isn’t a secret that should be disclosed easily.” She hesitates for a moment. “Riko, I trust you. I think you’re the most sensible woman out of our circle of friends. Once you’ve heard her out, if you do decide to still pursue a relationship despite the dangers… I will not interfere, no matter how much I disagree with your decision.”

She stops for a moment before adding, “Unless she becomes a danger to you. Upon which I will do my best to protect you.”

Riko’s lips curl into a faint smile. “Thank you, Dia. But… I don’t think it’ll come to that.”

“If that’s what you believe,” Dia shrugs. She looks to Yohane, giving her a hard look. “If Riko gets hurt…”

“Divine retribution, yada yada,” Yohane mutters. “Yeah, I get the memo.”

Shaking her head slowly, Dia disappears in a flash of bright light. Ruby, however, lingers for just a moment, giving Yohane a timid smile. _“Thanks for… being with Riko,”_ She says in Yohane’s mind. _“My sister may not trust you, but you have my gratitude.”_

Well, at least someone recognizes her efforts. Yohane smiles and gives Ruby the thumbs up, before she disappears as well.

Riko just throws her hands up in exasperation. “Great. Dia and Ruby can teleport. What else?”

“Actually dematerialization is the least of our angelic powers…” Yohane mumbles.

“You hush,” Riko glares at Yohane, though her look lacks any real bite. “I’m still mad at you.”

“You are? I mean, of course you are.” Yohane winces, lowering her head shamefully. A long moment of silence passes before Yohane adds on a quiet, “Sorry.”

Riko breathes out slowly. She shakes her head, and strides up to Yohane, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. They start to make their way back onto the street. “No. I misspoke, I’m not actually mad. I’m just… really confused.”

Yohane’s momentary elation at Riko saying she’s not mad is doused with a fresh surge of nerves as she offers, “Do you want me to explain myself now?”

“Yes.” Riko nods. “ _Please_.”

Yohane takes a deep breath in. “Okay. From the top, then… As you’ve probably deduced by now, I’m not… human. I’m a demon. Specifically, a fallen angel. Before that, I was an angel in Heaven, until I was exiled by the big man himself. Which is why Dia hates my guts. I kind of snubbed her boss.”

“I… see.” Riko say slowly. She looks over Yohane. “Aside from the wings, though, you don’t _look_ too different from a regular human,” she says dubiously.

Yohane chuckles and shakes her head. “My true form would drive you insane. Divine geometry is serious business.”

“…Well alright, then,” Riko blinks, dismissing the request to see her true form from her mind. “…Dia mentioned that you were dangerous to me. What does she mean?”

Yohane hisses and bites her lips. She hoped Riko wouldn’t ask. “It’s… my job. As a harvester demon, my job is to seduce mortals into surrendering their souls. I can do it Faust style, or… like a succubus. Being part angel makes me flexible.”

“A succubus…” Riko tries not to think about the implications of that. She flags down a taxi, and gets on, Yohane filing in behind her. A thought occurs to her after she tells the taxi driver their address. “So, what happens to people you… uh… harvest?”

Yohane cringes. “It depends from person to person. Most spontaneously develop some kind of personality disorder. Physical weakness is expected for a while. Some become catatonic. It’s… not pretty,” She looks away from Riko. “But it was what I had to do to survive.”

Riko grimaces at Yohane’s description, but she still reaches out to take Yohane’s hand gently. “I believe you,” she says quietly. “I don’t think you’d enjoy inflicting that on people.”

Yohane breathes out slowly. She desperately wants to tell Riko that she’s right, but she knows that would be lying. There was a point in Yohane’s career when she actively enjoyed it. Not anymore, but once.

“So, was I…”

“One of my targets? Yes,” Yohane nods her head. “Not that I plan to follow through with that. I’m done. By letting you go unharvested I’ve forfeited my place in Hell, and I’ve never had a place in Heaven. All that’s left for me in this world.”

“I… didn’t realize you gave up so much,” Riko says.

“It’s not as much as you’d think. Life in Hell was monotonous, Riko. When it’s your job, even charming pretty girls gets boring after a while. I was thinking of leaving sooner or later. It was just a matter of finding the right reason to leave,” Yohane smiles faintly at Riko. “I’m lucky that reason turned out to be you.”

Riko’s cheeks flush as she tries to find a response to that. When she finds herself at a loss for words she simply shakes her head and asks, “So… were you planning to tell me? I know what you said to Dia, but…”

Yohane breathes in, clicking her tongue. “Yes… and no. I figured that, eventually I’d have to explain it to you… but I wasn’t in a hurry to do it.” She sighs. “I wasn’t sure how you’d receive the news.”

“Well,” Riko hums for a moment, her fingers intertwining with Yohane’s. “I’m probably in shock, that’s why I can react to this so calmly, but it doesn’t sound too bad from the outset. That… harvesting stuff sounds a bit scary, but I trust you. I don’t think you’ll use your powers to hurt me.”

“I’d never hurt you,” Yohane promises.

“I know. That’s why I’m holding your hand even though you could probably vaporize me or something,” Riko jokes, much to Yohane’s incredulity.

Riko really is handling it remarkably well, Yohane thinks. She really is something special.

“Actually, I meant that more in the sense that I _can’t_ hurt you.” Yohane says. “My powers don’t work on you, for some reason. I don’t want to say it’s the power of love, but…” She gives Riko a toothy grin. “Maybe it’s the power of love?”

Riko blushes. “God, you’re ridiculous…” She hesitates. “Wait, is using God’s name offensive to you?”

“No,” Yohane giggles, shaking her head. “Use his name in vain all you want. He’s a dick anyway.”

Riko bursts into laughter, leaning against Yohane after she calms down.

“You know, this is a lot to digest,” she murmurs, nestling into the crook of Yohane’s neck. Despite everything that’s happened Yohane’s body is curiously cool, and it’s comfortable to lean up against her.

“I know,” Yohane mumbles. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I knew something was up, I could feel it. There was just so much going on that I sort of… tried to ignore it.”

Riko sighs. “It’s going to take some getting used to, but… I don’t want you to have to hide who you are in front of me. It may sound a little selfish but… knowing who you really are makes me feel important.”

“You are important, Riko.”

“Am I? A washed out pianist who put her entire career on hold because of a dumb break up?” Riko smiles self-deprecating.

“You’re important to _me_.” Yohane says firmly, gripping Riko’s hand.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Riko says wryly. She tilts her head up slightly, and gives Yohane a light peck on the cheek, before resting her head back on Yohane’s shoulder. “…It’s been a while since I’ve focused that much on the piano. I’m exhausted.”

“You did good, Riko. You did really good,” Yohane assures her.

Riko closes her eyes in contentment. “We’ll talk more about this in the morning, okay? I want to know what I’m getting into by dating you.”

Yohane nods, feeling Riko’s breathing slow down as she drifts off to sleep.

* * * * *

“Hey.”

Yohane looks up. She’s sitting at the counter of the _Guilty Kiss_ , lost in thought and swishing a drink around in a glass, and Mari just stepped up behind the counter, giving Yohane an awkward smile.

“I heard from Riko. About Dia.” Mari starts, sitting down opposite to Yohane.

“What about her?” Yohane asks, taking a sip from her glass. It’s a slow night, and it’s still early. There are only a few patrons sitting around in the corners, quietly drinking, so they can afford to chat.

“I’m sorry about her meddling with your relationship,” Mari says. She turns around, takes a bottle out from the cabinet behind her, and tops up Yohane’s glass. “That wasn’t cool.”

Yohane shrugs. “She had good intentions, I guess. She was looking out for Riko. And it worked out in the end.”

“How did that go, by the way?” Mari asks. “Did Riko freak out?”

“She handled it surprisingly well, actually,” Yohane says, taking a languid sip from her glass. “We had a long talk in the morning. I explained… pretty much everything. How much did Dia tell you about me?”

“That you’re supposed to be one of the worst fallen angels to exist, and just by being here you’re putting all of us in peril.” Mari smirks, and pours herself a glass of bourbon.

“Judging by your expression, you don’t agree?”

“I know a good person when I see one, darling,” Mari chuckles, throwing her head back and draining half of the glass in a single go. She smacks her lips, and gives Yohane a wide smile.

“A good person, huh,” Yohane can’t help but smile and shake her head at that. Even now Yohane feels the subtle tug in her stomach to drain the bar dry of souls. “Perhaps,” she says.

Mari shrugs and gets up, heading to take an order from one of the tables. “You don’t have to play the villain anymore, you know?” Mari says, patting Yohane on the head and ruffling her hair. “You’re free now.”

“I’m free, huh…”

Yohane watches as Mari saunters across the room to the patron wanting to order, her lips twisting into a wry smile. If only that were true.

The door to the _Guilty Kiss_ bar swings open, and Yohane turns to greet their newest visitor.

“Welcome to the _Guilty Kiss_ bar, what can we get for you— _Yo?!_ ” Yohane’s eyes widen in surprise as the athletic girl stumbles into the bar, sweaty and out of breath.

“Yohane! You gotta come, it’s— it’s Riko, she…”

Before Yo’s even done talking, Yohane has stepped out from behind the bar, grabbing Yo by the shoulders. “What happened? What’s wrong with Riko?!”

“There, there was an accident, and she— she’s alive, but… she’s hurt. _Bad_.”

Yohane brushes past Yo, heading for the door. “Mari?” She glances at Mari, who gives her a curt nod.

“Go,” she says. Yohane doesn’t need to be told twice, running out onto the street. Yo follows behind her, and taps her on the shoulder to get her attention.

“I came in my truck, I can take you to the hospital,” Yo offers, but Yohane shakes her head.

“I can get there faster. I’ll meet you there.”

Yo stares at her for a moment before nodding solemnly. “Alright. I parked a ways back, so I’ll get going. You should get moving as well.”

Yohane watches as Yo sets off at a brisk jog, disappearing down a street corner and going out of sight. Breathing out, Yohane tries to still her hammering heart, quelling the nervous lump rising up in her throat.

_There was an accident._

_It’s Riko, she’s hurt._

Yo’s words ring in her ears. Squeezing her eyes shut, Yohane shakes her head violently to silence her doubts. Now is not the time to fret, she needs to be by Riko’s side.

Still, she makes a wish in her heart for Riko to be okay, before holding out her hand to carve a portal into the air in front of her. Swirling black flames erupt from where her hand is, and swallows her whole, then fading away and leaving only smoke and cinders where Yohane once stood.

* * * * *

Rushing into the hospital waiting room, Yohane is greeted by the sight of Chika pacing anxiously up and down an aisle of seats with her arms crossed. When she spots Yohane a small smile of relief appears on her face, and she quickly runs up to her.

“Yohane! Thank God you’re here!” To Yohane’s surprise Chika sweeps her up in a crushing hug, leaving her bewildered for a moment.

With a start, Yohane realizes Chika’s heart is hammering in her chest, and her skin is covered with a thin sheen of cold sweat. Chika’s probably just as scared as Yohane is, and she doesn’t have the composure of an immortal to hold her together.

Breathing out, Yohane reaches up and pats Chika on the back, gently pushing her off of herself. “Yeah. I came as soon as I could. What’s the situation?”

“Riko’s still being operated on,” Chika shakes her head helplessly. “I don’t really know what’s going on. Is Yo with you?”

“I came alone after she told me,” Yohane explains. “She’s probably on her way.”

Chika sighs, collapsing into a nearby chair. “Ah… in any case, I’m so glad you’ve come. I’ve been waiting alone since Yo left to get you. All that stress really gets to you, you know?”

Yohane nods understandingly, sitting down next to her. “I know how you feel,” She says. After thinking for a few quiet moments, she turns to Chika. “So… what happened? All Yo said was that there was an accident, and Riko got hurt.”

Chika shudders, looking down and grimacing. “…Yeah. Yo and I were out for dinner, and we just happened to run into Riko after she was done with a gig.”

“So you’re on speaking terms again?” Yohane asks.

Chika smiles weakly. “Thanks to you,” She says. “But back to what happened… We sat down for a drink, and just as we were going to leave, there was a car out of control, and it… it…” Chika cringes, unable to continue the narration. Yohane breathes out and pats Chika on the back, smiling kindly at her.

“That’s okay. I get the idea. You don’t have to say it.” Yohane murmurs. “How long has she been in there?”

“An hour, maybe? It’s… honestly I’ve not been keeping count. It just makes me more nervous.” Chika looks over to the counter. “They haven’t really given me an estimate of how long it might take, but they did say that her life isn’t really at risk.”

Yohane breathes out a sigh of relief. “Right. Yo mentioned that, but… that’s good to hear.”

Chika nods her head, her hand clenched tight. “I guess all that’s left is to wait for good news, huh?”

“Don’t look so sombre,” Yohane says, trying to lighten the mood. “Riko will pull through. I know she will.”

“Right,” Chika nods again, this time more sure of herself. “Of course. You’re right, Riko’s tougher than how she seems on the surface.”

Yohane smiles faintly. From what little she’s learned of Chika, a frown doesn’t suit her. She’s definitely more appealing when she’s smiling. And in a time like this, Yohane’s sure that Riko would want them to be smiling rather than worrying over her safety anyway.

As the hours drag on, Yohane and Chika chat quietly to pass the time, managing to strike a balance between fretting over Riko’s wellbeing and finding the patience to just sit and wait. Yohane’s curious about how Riko was when she dated Chika, details which Chika gladly shares. There’s many a story of Riko grossly overestimating her ability to drink, causing hilarity to ensue, as well as recollections of Yo and Chika’s antics driving her to the brink of hysteria. There are quieter stories too, recollections of long nights studying together, or posing for one of Riko’s paintings, even simply a meal shared or a book read together.

Chika manages to keep a small smile on her face as she tells the stories, and her words are tinged with a sweet nostalgia. At some point Yo arrives, and joins in on the conversation, sharing her own embarrassing Riko stories, like the time she freaked out when she couldn’t choose a birthday present for Chika, or when she quietly asked Yo to teach her how to swim because she and Chika were going to go to the beach.

Eventually, though, a nurse comes and informs them that the procedure is complete, and that it’s alright to see Riko.

Chika and Yo exchanges nods, before Chika speaks up. “You should go first,” she says. “She’ll want to see you, and I’m sure you’d appreciate the privacy. We’ll go in after you’re done.”

“Thanks,” Yohane gives Chika a small smile, before turning to the nurse and asking her to take her to Riko.

As they walk, Yohane steels herself, preparing herself for the worst. The nurse did say Riko’s no longer at risk, but still, you don’t just come out of a car accident completely unharmed. But whatever comes, Yohane will support Riko with all of her power. She’ll stand by Riko no matter what.

Just as they get to the room Riko is in, Yohane spots a doctor come out of the room. The doctor notices Yohane and the nurse approaching, and gives them a small wave.

“Are you here to see Miss Sakurauchi?” He asks.

“Yes,” Yohane nods. “How is she? Is she alright?”

“Well, her life isn’t at risk, and I think the procedure went as smoothly as it could,” The doctor says slowly. There’s a hint of hesitation in his voice though, and he adds. “But… it was a terrible accident. You… should be there to support her.”

That’s not ominous at all.

Yohane bites back the remark, just thanking the doctor and steeling her nerves as she turns to enter the ward. Breathing in for a moment, she straightens her back and puts a smile on her face, before striding into the room. Just as the doctor said, Riko’s just on the bed on the right.

Yohane’s eyes widen at the bandages festooning Riko, but then breathes out in relief. Her face is almost completely unharmed, and it doesn’t look like her body needs bracing of any kind. Probably just surface injuries, then. But a nagging thought plagues Yohane: if it’s just surface injuries, why did the procedure last so long?

Riko is looking off to one side ponderously, but when Yohane approaches her eyes light up and she gives Yohane a weak smile. “Hey, Yocchan,” She says. Her voice is dry and faint, like she’s out of breath, but at least she’s speaking.

“Hey," Yohane says, stepping up to the bed. There’s a chair next to the bed, so she sits down in it. “How are you feeling?”

“Honestly?” Riko closes her eyes. “Like shit. This is the worst.”

Yohane winces. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Riko shakes her head subtly. “I’m glad you’re here. It makes it easier, if just a little bit.”

“Do you need anything? Water?”

Riko shakes her head again, though after a moment of hesitation she says. “Hey, Yocchan? Mind pulling down the sheets a little? It’s hot.”

Yohane nods, and goes to move the sheets. When she does, though she immediately realizes that something is terribly, _terribly_ wrong.

“L-Lily…” Yohane swallows, her mouth suddenly dry. “What… what happened to your hands?”

Riko glances down at her mangled hands. Three fingers are missing entirely. The others are a segment short, or sitting limply in braces. Her whole forearm is wrapped up in a cast. Yohane feels like she’s been stabbed just from looking at them.

“Oh… yeah.” Riko closes her eyes again. There’s a slight tremble in her voice as she continues: “The doctor said the car probably ran right over them. It’s a miracle I have any fingers left at all. They spent the best of three hours picking slivers of bone out of the ones that remain. One day I might even regain feeling in them.”

She lets out a hollow, emotionless laugh that threatens to tear Yohane heart to shreds.

“And just when I started to play again, too.” Riko chokes back a sob. She blinks, tears welling up in her eyes. “Just when things were starting to turn up again, this had to happen. It’s just my luck, right? For this to happen?”

Yohane visibly flinches at that.

Bad luck.

_Misfortune._

This is her fault. Her hand shakes slightly as she grips the railing on the bed. There’s no other explanation. Her god-cursed misfortune that strips everything away from her, leaving her an empty husk wandering the space between heaven and hell.

No matter where she goes, she’ll never be free.

“I’ll fix this.” She mutters, under her breath.

“W-What?” Riko looks at her.

“This is a challenge. This is God picking a fight with me — with us.” Yohane narrows her eyes, and looks up at the ceiling. There’s nothing there, but Yohane knows instinctively that there has to be someone out there watching her. “Well, he won’t win. You won’t win, you hear?! You won’t take this happiness away from her! You can’t hurt me through Riko!”

Riko stares at her like she’s insane, but Yohane’s on a roll.

“You’ve fucked up, you asshole! You’ve achieved nothing by crippling her! I’ll find a way to fix her hands, bring everything back to normal, and spit in the face of your divine retribution! You don’t own us, you hear me? We’re not your toys! You’ll rue the day you decided to fuck with Riko!”

“Y-Yocchan! You’re being too loud!” Riko hisses, suddenly conscious of how much noise they’re making.

Yohane shakes her head. “No one can hear us. I’ve muffled this whole bedside.”

“I… I see.” Riko says with uncertainty. “But… what was that about?”

Yohane breathes out, and leans forward, resting her elbows on the bed. “I’ll fix your hands. I swear I will, on my name and my wings. I promise this will all work out. Even if it costs me my life.”

“You can’t!” Riko says sharply. Yohane blinks, surprised. “You can’t trade your life for mine. I won’t let you.”

She glares at Yohane with such intensity that Yohane eventually folds and looks away, scratching the back of her head uncomfortably. “Alright, alright. I won’t. But I will use everything at my disposal to help you. I won’t let that bastard yank us around like some kind of chained animal.”

“…Do you really think God is the reason why I got hurt?” Riko asks hesitantly.

“He’s not all powerful, that much I know. But he sure as hell is powerful enough to mess with me and everything I hold dear,” Yohane says with a deep scowl.

“W-Well, in any case…” Riko blinks hard to get the tears out - though Yohane has to reach out and help daub her face dry anyway - and gives Yohane as brave a smile as she can currently muster. “If it’s you, Yocchan… I believe in you. You’re like a walking miracle. You’ve saved me so many times already, I know you’ll manage it.”

“And when you do bring my hands back… I’ll play you a song, okay? One I wrote just for you.”

Yohane’s heart flutters, and determination fills her frame. She’ll do it. She has to.

She’ll fix Riko’s hands, and do something good for once in her long, sin-filled life.

* * * * *

“So? You came to us?”

Yohane grits her teeth, balling up her fists and swallowing her pride.

“Well, yes. I don’t have the power to heal her.”

Dia and Ruby exchange glances, before sighing.

The three of them are sitting around a table, in the living room of their ludicrously luxurious penthouse suite. Yohane was initially taken aback by the level of wealth the siblings have, until she remembers that they’re angels, and this level of material possession is probably a simple feat for the two of them.

“You say that, demon, but as much as I hate to admit it, we are in the same boat as you are in that regard.” Dia says.

Yohane starts, leaning forward incredulously. “What do you mean? Healing should be a guardian angel’s forte, no? Even a Principality such as myself, two tiers above you in the hierarchy, has that much power.”

“W-What my sister means to say is that, because we are guardian angels, our spheres of influence are limited to our charges. We’re not permitted use our angelic powers on anything else.” Ruby explains.

Yohane raises an eyebrow. “Even though Dia fought me?”

“A demon in the near vicinity constitutes a direct threat to our charges, so we can use our powers in those cases…

“…And I assume a friend being crippled doesn’t cause enough psychological harm to warrant angelic intervention, then.”

Dia shakes her head. “I wish it does, but that’s just not how things work.”

“Can’t you bend the rules a little?”

“The Creator sees all, Yohane.” Ruby mumbles. “I’m sorry. I want to help Riko, I really do. But some things just can’t be done.”

“Bullshit, if you really wanted to help Riko then you wouldn’t care about what that old bastard thinks—!”

Before Yohane can even finish that sentence, two swords made of blazing light are already at her throat, poised to pierce straight through her jugular. Dia’s eyes burn with golden fire, while Ruby just looks pained.

“Please don’t use the Lord’s name in vain. At least not in our presence,” Ruby says weakly. “We’re breaking enough rules as is, speaking to you in truce. Please don’t make things worse.”

Yohane swallows, and after a moment of consideration, nods stiffly. Ruby heaves a sigh of relief, while Dia just sniffs and dispels the blade from her hand. “I take that means you won’t help me, no matter what I’m willing to give, then?”

“Riko’s our friend, too.” Dia says. “If it was within our power to do it, we’d have done so already, without your prompting.”

“I’m afraid that our hands are tied. Sorry, Yohane,” Ruby lowers her head.

“See, this is the reason why I fell in the first place. Rules, regulations… I hate that kind of stuff.” Yohane stands up, shaking her head. “Fine. I’ll solve this myself, somehow. I don’t need help from angels.”

“Good luck,” Dia says, uncharacteristically sombre. “For once, I want you to succeed.”

“I love you too, sweet-cheeks,” Yohane drawls, before she snaps her fingers and disappearing into a flash of sulphur and smoke.

Dia sighs, and fans the air to get rid of the smell of the smoke from her departure. “Good riddance.”

“Do you think she’ll succeed, Dia?” Ruby asks, looking up from where she’s sitting. “I can’t think of anything that can work, if her power doesn’t have an effect on Riko.”

“There is _one_ way…”

Dia shakes her head slowly. “No… but it’s impossible. I don’t think she’d be willing to go that far.”

Ruby breathes out, and stares out of the apartment window worriedly. “Yohane…”

* * * * *

The heat is oppressive, but it’s a familiar heat that Yohane’s missed after not being there for almost a month now. Hell’s much the same as she remembers it, at least. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed. The magma still bubbling, sulphurous geysers still spewing, the ground still stained black and the sky tinted blood red. It should be the picture of home, but Yohane finds herself already missing the blue sky and green grass of the mortal world.

She stares up at the monolithic building carved from a single slab of obsidian, the palace her boss and by extension she lives in. Well, used to live in, in her case. She spots a familiar balcony, and extends her wings, riding the roiling updrafts from the magma until she drops daintily onto the carved stone platform, almost at the top of the building. A quick tap loosens the locks on the balcony doors. No one expects someone to break into the room of a greater demon, so more often than not the only security such rooms have is the reputation of their owners and nothing else.

Especially if the demon has an ego as big as her boss’s.

The predominantly bubblegum pink room is unoccupied for the moment, so Yohane sits down on the plush four poster bed and waits. She’s not sure how much time passes - time shifts abnormally outside of the mortal world - but eventually the doorknob to the room does rattle, and the door slowly swings open.

“…Yohane?”

Her boss stares at her, completely caught off guard. “What are you doing here?”

“I need to talk,” Yohane says.

“Are you insane? News of your defection has spread all over this layer of Hell.” Her boss breathes in, shaking her head and fixing Yohane with a stern look. “You could be executed, you know that right?”

“Of course, I’m not stupid.” Yohane rolls her eyes.

“Well you clearly are if you just waltzed up to this place.”

“And yet I’m unharmed, my head still firmly on my neck.”

Yohane’s boss sighs, rubbing her temple like she’s developing a migraine as they speak. “Fair enough. Fine, what do you want? Make it quick, I don’t want to be grouped in as a conspirator with you.”

Yohane nods shortly, and starts to explain. “I need help healing a human. You’re the only one left that I can turn to, boss.”

“Healing?” Her boss raises an eyebrow. “Isn’t that more an angel’s forte?”

“It _is_ , but…” Yohane grimaces. 

Her boss narrows her eyes, and then widens them again in realization. “Wait… it’s your mark, isn’t it? That pianist girl?”

Yohane nods glumly. “I can’t heal her right now. My powers don’t work on her. My magic is useless.”

“Well,” Her boss hums, thinking quickly. “I suppose that means that you’ve made your decision, then?”

“I have. I’m staying with her.”

“I see… that’s good, that’s good. A decision is always good, even if it’s wrong,” Her boss says, looking Yohane up and down. “Well, unfortunately, I have to admit that even a powerful demon like myself isn’t sure how to save your little girlfriend. You see, I don’t have healing powers, otherwise I’d just lend you a hand. And your magical block is inherent in all demons, so no matter how hard you try you won’t be able to shake it off.”

Yohane feels her heart sink. “Damn… I didn’t think it would be that easy, but… is there really no way?”

“Well, I said I wasn’t _sure_. I do have an idea.” Yohane’s boss’ eyes glint, and Yohane perks up. “Demons have the block, but angels do not. You are an angel who became a demon by falling. So all you have to do is…”

“…Revert back to being an angel.” Yohane breathes in sharply. “But how?”

Her boss shrugs. “I’m no angel. I wouldn’t know. But… if whatever you want to heal isn’t treatable with mortal technology, and you don’t have an angel handy, then that’s the only thing you can do, isn’t it?”

“You’re not really being that helpful, you know? Suggesting an impossible solution like that…” Yohane sighs, and stands up.

“Well, I’m taking time out of my busy schedule to talk to you. Shouldn’t you be glad just to have that honour?” Her boss pouts.

“You were probably just going to binge on mortal idol TV shows anyway,” Yohane rolls her eyes. “If that’s all you can tell me, then I should go. Thanks for everything, boss. It’s been fun, but you probably won’t see me anymore.”

Yohane steps out onto the balcony, and prepares to transport herself back to Riko, when her boss calls out to her.

“Hey! Yohane. Wait a second.”

Yohane turns to look at her curiously.

“If you’re going to go anyway, can’t you stop calling me boss? I have a name, you know. A very nice one at that,” Her boss pouts.

“Nah,” Yohane grins at her boss. “You’ll always be my boss to me. I think I’ll stick to that.”

Her boss sighs, shaking her head. “You’re really hopeless, you know that? I’m surprised you managed to get a date at all throughout these years.”

“Well, what can I say? I’m just that irresistible,” Yohane chuckles, and holds out a hand.

“Good luck with healing the girl, Yohane. I’m glad you’ve found a life for yourself. I hope you manage to keep it.”

Her boss goes to shake, but by the time her hand is out, Yohane has already dissolved into smoke, disappearing into a puff of smoke and smoulder.

She stands there for a moment, her hand out grasping at thin air, before shaking her head incredulously. “The madwoman. She still didn’t call me by my name…”

She sighs, sitting down on her bed.

“I’d have liked to hear her to call me Nico, if only once… Oh well.”

She chuckles, and lies down, closing her eyes to listen to the bubbling of the magma below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go.  
> This ended up a little longer than I thought it would be so I split the final chapter into two parts.


	5. You are Fragile (pt 2) + Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow my tumblr for updates, art, requests, and more! (<https://worldofoasis.tumblr.com/>)

Yohane breathes out, pacing back and forth in front of Riko’s hospital room.

“Okay, okay. You can do this. You can do this, Yohane,” She mutters under her breath, clenching and unclenching her hand as she runs through simulation after simulation of what might happen.

All she has to do is give up her demon powers. Easy, right?

Give up everything she’s stood for for the past fifty thousand years?

“Riko’s more important than that.” Yohane mutters, shaking her head. Unlike Yohane, Riko is ephemeral. Mortal. She’s like the morning dew, impermanent, gone in an instant. But that’s what makes her beautiful. She’s delicate, and fleeting, and that’s okay.

But with this… it’s before Riko’s time. She’s not meant to have her growth be stunted so soon.

Yohane looks down, and clenches her jaw. She has to do this, so just do it.

She turns around, and marches into the hospital room. Riko is still sitting there, staring ponderously at her phone, which was set up on a stand by her bed. A bouquet of flowers is set into a vase on the bedside table, tied together with a ribbon, and a notecard with a get well wish on it from Chika and Yo. There’s a box of chocolates from Mari, a half-eaten cake from Ruby and Hanamaru, some traditional snacks from Dia and Kanan.

Everyone’s trying their best to make Riko feel better, Yohane realizes.

“Hey,” Yohane says, trying to feign normalcy. She walks up to Riko’s bedside, giving Riko a smile.

Riko smiles back, her voice soft as she says, “Hey. What’s the occasion? You’re all dressed up.”

Yohane’s wearing what might be considered her ‘default’ attire. An elaborate black gown, almost high gothic, all lace and ribbons and embroidery. A representation of her divine status.

“This is me,” Yohane says. “I figure for this I should bring the best.”

“Well,” Riko looks her up and down approvingly. “I like it. It’s dramatic.”

“Dramatic. That’s me,” Yohane says, smirking. She reaches out, taking hold of Riko’s mangled, broken hands. She looks down at them for a moment, a wave of disgust passing through her. Not at Riko’s current state, but at herself, for failing to protect Riko despite everything she’s capable of. A nigh-omnipotent immortal entity, unable to protect even a single mortal.

What’s the point of having so much power, if she can do so little with it?

“I’ll fix this,” She says seriously. Sensing this shift in attitude, Riko’s expression grows more serious as well.

“Have you found a way?” Riko asks, her voice holding just a hint of hope.

“I… I think so. It should work,” Yohane says quietly. “If it doesn’t… at least you won’t get any worse.”

“And… how soon can this happen?” Riko presses, now eager to learn more.

“Now, if you want,” Yohane says. “I could try right now.”

Riko breathes out shakily, and nods. “If you could… please.”

Yohane nods solemnly. “Your wish is my command,” She intones, her voice taking on a lower, richer timbre. There’s something sacramental with her tone, and Riko finds herself transfixed, her breathing shallow and eager.

“O’ Lord, our creator, who in Heaven reigns, hear the prayer of this humble servant…” Yohane says, swallowing her pride. She shuts her eyes, and begins to pray.

She tugs on a long-forgotten part of herself, an ancient, sealed away power that Yohane once swore to never touch on again. Trapped beneath layers upon layers of sinful darkness, a single glimmer of darkness answers her call.

It’s so weak. Like a single candle in an endless night. This is all that remains of Yohane the angel, once beloved of Heaven, now Yohane the demon, a sinner who lives in Purgatory. Yohane grits her teeth at the realization of the strength of the light inside her, devoting all of her willpower into cultivating this tiny flame.

But despite pushing and pushing with all of her mental strength, the light refuses to grow.

“No,” Yohane grunts, focusing again. Her grip on Riko’s hands never wavers, stubbornly continuing to serve as a conduit for the pitiful healing power she’s able to muster up. “Come on. _Come on!_ ”

As she is now, she can barely heal a cut. She needs to be stronger. _Much_ stronger.

She bites her lips, squeezing her eyes shut.

She has to revert back to being an angel, is what Nico said. How does one do that? Even if the heart is willing, how does a sinner of fifty thousand years return to the glory of the Creator?

“I know you’re listening, you old bastard,” Yohane mutters. “It’s what you do, isn’t it? Leer at our futile existence from your immortal perch?”

_“You’re going to have to be a little more courteous if you want to get back into Heaven, demon.”_

Yohane starts at the interruption. “Kurosawa?”

 _“…Uhm, both of us, actually…”_ Ruby’s voice sounds in her head.

 _“I thought I was going crazy when I felt another angelic presence in the city… I was sure Ruby and I were the only ones,”_ Dia sighs. _“So this is your plan? Revert back to your angelic form so you can use your healing powers?”_

“You got a problem with that?” Yohane grunts, still trying to focus on channelling what little angelic power she has into Riko.

 _“Actually, we want to help!”_ Ruby’s statement catches Yohane off guard.

 _“Normally we shouldn’t even be doing this, but if it’s to help Riko…”_ Dia says reluctantly. _“We’ll get you an entrance, okay? The rest is up to you.”_

 _“Try your best, Yohane!”_ Ruby says encouragingly.

**_“O’ Lord, our creator, who in Heaven reigns, hear the prayers of us, your loyal messengers…”_ **

Yohane grumbles under her breath about nosy angels, but she still smiles slightly at their support. She feels a sudden surge of light overtake her as Dia and Ruby’s power washes over her, drawing out her latent angelic essence.

Initially, it’s warm and fuzzy, but it quickly takes a turn for the worse as the demonic side of her fights back, attacking her own angelic nature. It feels like a fire has lit up inside her, scorching her insides, burning her up from the inside-out until there’s nothing left of her but an empty husk. She doubles over in pain, her hand slipping off of Riko’s for a moment before she manages to grab hold - though she’s still slumped over the side of the hospital bed.

“Yohane?” Riko asks, worriedly.

“I’m… fine,” Yohane chokes, gritting her teeth to push back the pain of having her very being be eroded away. “This much is… nothing…”

“Yohane, you’re smoking,” Riko notes, getting increasingly more concerned. “Is that supposed to happen?”

“I… what?” Yohane opens her eyes, and is horrified to see her skin visibly steaming. The impurities in her body are being physically boiled out, she realizes. There’s no going back from this. She forces a smile onto her face, and gives Riko’s hand a comforting pat. “This is… good. It’s working…”

She grunts, and coughs, a cloud of noxious black vapour leaving her body. It’s horrifying, feeling a part of you be expunged from your being. She’s been a demon so long that getting purified is _absolute agony_.

“Yohane you’re bleeding!” Riko says anxiously. “What’s happening? Talk to me, _please_!”

“Gotta… purge my body,” Yohane rasps weakly, as convulsions begin to wrack her body. “Need my angelic powers back… ugh…”

She coughs again, and this time a gob of vile black ichor spills out from inside her, evaporating before it even hits the bedsheets.

“Everything will be fine,” Yohane manages to say, even as she’s doubled over in pain. “I promise…!”

Her eyes widen as a metaphysical light engulfs her, dominating her entire consciousness. The searing heat scours her to the bone, leaving nothing left. Her body is gone. Her mind is gone. Her will is broken.

Whatever is left is taken up to Heaven.

* * * * *

“—FUCK!”

Yohane takes her first, ragged breath after what feels like a millennia of torture.

The air is clean, impossibly so. Sweet, and unfiltered. She looks around, confused.

All around her is light. There are no physical objects, only the platonic ideal of form and shape. Impossibly perfect architecture and landscapes stretch as far as the eye can see.

“Should I be impressed that _that’s_ the first thing you say on coming back to Heaven?”

A familiar stern voice sounds behind her, and Yohane looks around to see Dia standing there, arms crossed. She’s no longer in her mortal guise, and her angelic essence is visible in all her glory: gleaming like diamonds, an unbridled being of pure light and goodness. Beside her is Ruby, slightly dimmer, but just as pure.

Ruby kneels down beside Yohane, helping her up. “You’re not used to this state of being, right? Take your time,” she says, letting Yohane lean on her.

Yohane looks down, her breath catching. Her body is a mass of unfurled wings and divine flame, even brighter than Dia and Ruby. A crown sits on her metaphorical head, and a sceptre floats wherever she goes.

Her original form as a Principality.

“It’s been a while, yes,” Yohane says quietly. She looks around again, now that she’s calmed down a little.

Everything is still so sickeningly perfect. Nothing has changed in her fifty thousand years of absence. Sure, details here and there have changed - as the mortal world shifts, the spiritual realms shift accordingly - but on the whole, its the same stagnant crap that Yohane rebelled against in the first place.

She takes a deep breath, steeling her nerves. She doesn’t need to breathe, per se, she doesn’t even have lungs, but as a spiritual thought-form her body has no limitations. With a thought, she returns her body to a more familiar shape, the same one she’s been using in the mortal world. But try as she may, she can’t be rid of the mass of wings and feathers trailing behind her, or the crown and sceptre.

“Still taking that form here?” Dia scoffs, shaking her head. “Even though you’ve managed to attain perfection again?”

Yohane sneers at Dia. “Life isn’t always about perfection, Dia. Do you think your precious Mari is perfect? Everything has a flaw. Even Yahweh—”

Her jaw locks up before she can finish the sentence.

“You can’t say things like that in Heaven, Yohane,” Ruby advises her hurriedly.

Yohane grunts, as she slowly regains use of her mouth. Rubbing the bottom of her jaw, she sighs and nods. “Fine. I’ll play by your rules. So? How can I get back down?”

“The mere fact that you have been allowed here means that He has forgiven you,” Dia says. “You are free to go, if you want.”

“That seems too good to be true,” Yohane crosses her arms. “What’s the catch?”

“Your existence is… tenuous,” Ruby mumbles. “Even if you’ve been forgiven, you’ve simply sinned too much… N-not to say that you’re a bad person! Just… not fitting for an angel anymore.”

“So if I go back down now,” Yohane says, “I’ll…”

“You will become mortal,” Ruby finishes. “Sorry, Yohane…”

“But I’ll have enough strength in me to heal Riko, right?”

Dia nods. “If you heal her immediately, yes.”

Yohane’s already gone by the time Dia finished speaking.

Dia sighs, and glances at Ruby. “Riko’s chosen a fine partner,” Dia says begrudgingly.

“She has,” Ruby agrees, before the both of them vanish as well.

* * * * *

The light fades.

Riko comes to, for a moment not even realizing that she’s blacked out. “What… happened?” She asks groggily, looking around.

Yohane is slumped over the side of the bed, her breathing harsh and ragged.

“Yohane?” Riko sits up, immediately alert. “Yohane, are you okay?”

Yohane coughs, weakly lifting her head and giving Riko a smile. “Yeah, I’m okay.” She clears her throat, sitting up a little. She looks haggard, and tired, but there’s a new light in her eyes that Riko hasn’t seen before. “How about you?”

“I’m—” Riko stops, remembering why Yohane came here. “My hands, they…”

She looks down, amazed. There’s no pain. No numbness. The cast has vanished, revealing completely flawless hands. The amputated finger segments have grown back, the crookedness straightened out. All that remains is a rapidly fading scar on the back on her hand. Before her very eyes, the scar tissue shrinks and shrinks, until it’s completely invisible.

She holds her hands up to the light in wonder. “They’re healed,” She whispers. She turns to Yohane excitedly. “Yohane, they’re healed!”

“Thank God,” Yohane murmurs, heartfelt for the first time in millennia. She clasps Riko’s hands in her own, shaking slightly from the enormity of her emotions. “Thank you…”

“Your hands—” Riko notes suddenly. “You’re warm.”

Yohane smiles weakly. “Well, yeah. Don’t really have the whole frozen biology anymore.”

Riko tilts her head. “What do you mean?” Her eyes widen after she connects the dots. “Wait, you didn’t— your powers…”

“What’s the point of powers if I can’t even protect the girl I like?” Yohane says, giving her a wry smile. “I threw that shit back in God’s face. In exchange, I got to heal you. I’d say that’s a fair deal.”

“Wait, but then you’re,” Riko looks at Yohane. “You’re mortal now?”

“As mortal as anyone else,” Yohane says, before adding, “Well, maybe a little prettier than most. But mostly mortal.”

“You… did this for me?” Riko murmurs, not sure if she should be aghast or flattered. “Yohane, I…”

“Shush, I won’t hear anything about it.” Yohane holds up a hand, cutting off what might’ve been a pointless complaint. “It’s my choice to make, and… honestly, I was getting tired of immortality anyway. I want to live, and grow old.”

She hesitates, and adds tentatively. “…And I want to do that with you.”

Riko’s cheeks flush as she feels a heat blossom across her face. She looks down for a moment, flustered at the revelation of what Yohane did, and also what she just said. “I- I…” Riko stammers, trying and failing to muster up a response. Finally, she mutters, weakly, “That’s not fair… I can’t do anything like that for you.”

Yohane chuckles throatily, delicately lifting up Riko’s hand in her own. “You’ve already saved me, Lily. Gave me a new lease on life.” She presses her lips to the back of Riko’s hand, planting a gentle kiss on the skin. “I’m only returning the favour.”

Riko’s cheeks are bright red at this point, and she squeaks dumbly when Yohane daintily kisses her hand. “Well I, I…” Riko breathes in, calming herself down a little. “I want to grow old with you, too,” she says quietly, shifting her hand slightly to grip Yohane’s hand. “Live together. Make a home. Go travel.” She thinks for a moment. “Kids. I’m not getting ahead of myself, am I?”

Yohane grins. “We can talk about it. Not sure if a devil would make a good parent, though.”

“You’re not a devil, Yohane,” Riko says. She leans forward, and with a gentle tug on the wrist, pulls Yohane close, just barely brushing their lips together. Their faces just centimetres apart, Riko smiles at Yohane as she continues. “You’re my guardian angel.”

* * * * *

_Epilogue_

“Yocchan, table four needs a top up, could you get that for me?” Mari calls out from across the bar floor.

“On it!”

It’s been two months since the incident. Life has been quiet, and uneventful, which honestly works just fine. Thanks to Dia and Ruby, Yohane and Riko managed to get out of the hospital without the miraculous healing causing a fuss. It was strange to go without her powers for a while, but after a few weeks of stumbling about Yohane has more or less gotten used to things. She still works in _Guilty Kiss_ , though now without the support of her little cheats. Again thanks to Ruby, she now has a magically forged identity and could go on with life without worrying about having no documentation.

 _Tsushima Yoshiko._ She’s told her name means ‘kind child’. It’s embarrassing, and Yoshiko prefers her original name, but allegedly it’s edgy and will make her seem weird, so begrudgingly she uses Yoshiko for now. (Also Riko says it’s cute.)

Yohane— _Yoshiko_ , deftly mixes up two new drinks and carries them over to table four, politely interrupting their conversation to put down the drinks. By the time she winds her way back to the bar, Mari’s already back waiting on their next order.

“You’re getting pretty used to this, aren’t you?” Mari asks, leaning on the countertop and giving her a sly smirk. “Don’t even need your fancy powers.”

After Yoshiko gave up her immortality, she admitted what she is to Mari, as well as the fact that she’s been so good at bartending only because of her devilish powers. To Yoshiko’s surprise, Mari continued to let Yoshiko work in the Guilty Kiss - officially this time around - saying she’s confident Yoshiko would learn on the job.

Sure enough, it turns out Yoshiko has a gift for bartending anyway. Even without her powers, she’s quickly learnt how to mix a mean drink.

“I’m getting there,” Yoshiko says, pouring herself a glass to sip on it. Mari chuckles, and gives Yoshiko a light slap on the back.

“Don’t get too full of yourself,” Mari says mirthfully. “You’re good, but you’ve got a ways to go.”

Yoshiko nods, turning to keep watch over the bar. Some vestiges of her powers, to her shock, have remained. She’s still a fair bit stronger than her slender build would suggest, and she’s still tougher than the average mortal woman. Because of that, Guilty Kiss doesn’t need a bouncer. She narrows her eyes at a group of younger men who seem to be causing a ruckus by the stage, but decides not to intervene yet.

“Oh, look who’s just coming in,” Mari suddenly speaks up. Yoshiko looks towards the entrance, and a smile finds itself onto her face when she sees a familiar wine-red haired beauty step past the doors. Riko immediately meets Yoshiko’s gaze, and gives her a little wave and a smile.

“I didn’t know you were playing today,” Yoshiko says, as Riko steps up to the bar counter and finds a seat.

“I’m not,” Riko shakes her head. “Just in for a drink. Can I get something sweeter?”

“Something sweet… how’s a Long Island ice tea sound?” Yoshiko offers, after a moment of thought. When Riko nods, she goes about preparing a glass, speaking as she does. “So, what’s the occasion? It’s been a while since you’ve drank.”

Riko grins, and leans forward. “Well… I’ve just gotten an email.”

“An email? What about?”

Instead of answering Yoshiko’s question, Riko giggles giddily and leans forward. “Hey, how do you feel about going on a trip?”

“A trip!” Yoshiko blinks, surprised. “Sounds expensive…”

“Ah, we don’t have to worry about that,” Riko says, pulling out her phone with a flourish. She calls up an email, and thrusts it into Yoshiko’s face. “Take a look!”

“Let’s see…” Her eyes widen. “An all expenses paid trip to Paris?!”

“I’ve been invited to play at a party there!” Riko says excitedly. “I can take a plus one, too!”

“I remember Paris. They chopped a lot of heads,” Yoshiko recalls, causing Riko’s excited smile to slip slightly at the comment.

“It’s still weird to think you’re at least a thousand times my age,” Riko says.

“Sorry,” Yoshiko apologizes meekly.

“It’s okay,” Riko smiles, reaching out to touch Yoshiko’s hand. “I still love you.”

“Get a room, you two,” Mari interjects teasingly. Riko pouts at Mari, who snickers and waves a hand. “I think that’s a great idea. You haven’t missed a single day yet, Yocchan. I’m fine with you taking a few days off. You two have fun, you hear?”

Yoshiko smiles gratefully, setting the glass of Long Island ice tea down in front of Riko. “Well, we can talk about it tonight.”

“Are you cooking?” Riko asks.

“I cooked yesterday,” Yoshiko frowns, but Riko gives her a pleading look and her resistance immediately crumbles. “Oh, fine. I’ll cook.”

Shaking her head at the two’s saccharine interactions, Mari smiles and leaves them alone, going to take another order.

* * * * *

Nico breathes out slowly, looking down at herself for the umpteenth time that day. She’s well dressed, pink and ruffled, cute and girly but not garishly so. She’s in heels - her height, to her chagrin, cannot be changed no matter how powerful she gets.

She looks up, staring at the door in front of her. She takes another deep breath, and presses the doorbell, swallowing her nervousness with a quick gulp. The ringing sound echoes, hanging in the air for a long, breathless moment.

Nico briefly considers running. It’s not too late. But her pride keeps her rooted to the spot.

After waiting a few moments with bated breath, the door swings open, and there she is, in all her glory, almost exactly like how Nico remembers her. Red hair, piercing purple eyes, almost ethereal beautiful features transfixed in an expression of shock.

“N…Nico?” Her voice is a hoarse, disbelieving whisper.

Nico gives her a nervous smile. “Hey, Maki. It’s been a while.”

If Yohane can do it… Maybe Nico can have the life she wanted too.


End file.
